Rise of the Ace Attorney
by mtnetwarrior
Summary: 3rd Persona X Death Note story. In the months before and after the end of Kira case, certain III members find themselves involved in a series of cases that will have major impacts in the future. In the midst of the coming chaos, a new defense attorney may be the key to ending corruption. Persona/Death Note/Ace Attorney triple-crossover. Rated T for violent scenes.
1. Chapter 1: Turnabout Reminiscence Part 1

**Welcome to my new story. For this one we are returning to "Persona X Death Note", a series of stories I have planned that began with my first story "If This Be Godhood". (And I'd highly recommend reading both it and it's sequel "I Reject It" to gain some background information.) And now a surprise, this is going to be a triple crossover. Just cause I wanna, we're delving into the world of Ace Attorney.**

**Now a few things before we start. This will be the first of a series of stories, one story for each game. HOWEVER, all of the cases will be placed in chronological order, so be ready for that. I will also NOT be taking Gyakuten Kenji 2 into account (unless Capcom by some miracle decides to release a local version).**

**Each individual case will be handled by one member of III (Inaba Investigations International) who will be assisting the person doing the trial and/or investigation. I will also be doing the who "Law & Order" style introduction to each scene cause I think it's awesome. Also, chapters will be divided by in-game chapter breaks. Finally, please note that I do not own anyone from Ace Attorney, Persona, or Death Note (and to make sure you know this, I'll be reminding you every chapter). Now as they say at NASA, let's light this candle.**

Chapter 1: Turnabout Reminiscence Part 1

_September 10, 2011 (1 year, 5 months, and 18 days before the closure of the Kira case):_

L Lawliet sat in the viewing gallery of a well-known courthouse in Los Angeles, California. Having heard about a case involving the death of a staff member at the Cohdopian Embassy, one which was apparently the easiest the police force there had ever had, L decided to have a look for himself. He was a tall and rather lanky man who was in his mid-twenties. He always seemed to have a tired look about him, with his eyes having dark circles beneath them. He had a mop of black hair that was very unkempt, and he wore his usual attire of a white shirt with black jeans. His shoes lay empty on the floor beneath him, as he had taken to crouching in his chair like always. The people that were immediately next to him couldn't help but stare in bewilderment.

L ignored the stares, he was used to them. As he continued to watch, his thumb against his lips, the defendant for the trial suddenly blurted out, "Yeah, that's right. I did it. I killed the guy." L was a little surprised. Very rarely had he seen any defendant out and admit to their crimes. Then again, the evidence against this defendant was overwhelming. Just a few minutes earlier, the prosecution had played a security video that showed the defendant shooting the victim in this case. It was in clear hi-definition with no mistake as to who the gunman was. Furthermore the murder weapon had turned out to be the defendant's own gun. _'Guess sometime criminals just know when they're caught,'_ L thought to himself. But what the defendant did next really surprised him.

"It was the Great Thief Yatagarasu that told me to do it!" "Yata... Garasu...?," L muttered to himself. He knew from his time in Japan that the Yatagarasu was a three-legged crow god said to represent guidance. But he had no idea that a thief was using such a myth as their symbol. _'Clearly I've been in hiding for too long. Blast you, Kira...'_ The whole courtroom seemed to be as confused as L, even the defendant's own defense attorney. "Just what exactly are you trying to say?," she asked. L pushed his thumb against his lips. _'I'd say it's likely that this man knows the identity of this so-called "great thief".'_ Sure enough, the defendant pointed straight at the prosecutor for the trial.

"The Yatagarasu is the man standing over there at the prosecutor's bench!" At the defendant's accusation, there was a slight murmuring among the viewers of the trial. The defendant had gone so far as to accuse the prosecutor of telling him to kill the victim after sneaking into the embassy. Hearing this, the judge considered for a moment. Finally, he said, "In accordance with the defendant's accusations a new prosecutor will be called in to replace Mr. Faraday. This court will be in recess until then." He struck his gavel to indict his decision was final. L got up from his chair and slipped into his shoes. _'Well now. I've seen quite a few trials, but this one sure has taken a turn for the bizarre. I know one thing... I'd like to meet the man they decide to have replace Mr. Faraday as prosecutor for the trial.'_

* * *

_September 10, 3:20 PM_

_District Court_

_3rd Floor Lobby_

Miles Edgeworth stood in the middle of the lobby waiting for his mentor. It was strange for him that his prosecutorial debut was taking over for another prosecutor being accused of being a legendary thief, and by the defendant no less. Edgeworth was in his early twenties, and was dressed in a bright purple suit with a blue undercoat, adorned with a pure white cravat, as well as black dress shoes. His short hair was a distinctive grayish-black but had a regular hairstyle. To most people his suit would have looked more appropriate in Victorian-era London. As Edgeworth mulled over the case at hand, he heard a rather gruff voice call out his name.

Into the lobby entered Manfred von Karma, Edgeworth's mentor. Von Karma was dressed in a manner similar to Edgeworth, but with a blue suit and purple undercoat. His short, balding gray hair was looked rather wind-swept. He held a walking cane in one hand. "Have you read over all of the documents regarding the trial?," Von Karma asked his pupil. Edgeworth nodded. "Yes sir." von Karma gave a satisfactory smile. "Very good. The paperwork for the prosecutor substitution is just about complete. Incidentally, did you happen to notice a rather odd individual who was crouching in his seat rather than sitting normally?" Edgeworth thought for a second. "I don't believe so, sir. I was too focused on the trial at hand." von Karma nodded. "A good answer, though I should tell you that was not actually a test."

Edgeworth couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. _'Why would someone choose to crouch in their chair rather than sit normally? That does seem rather odd, probably why it stuck out in Von Karma's mind. Regardless, we aren't here to discuss how other people act.'_ Von Karma suddenly became very serious. "Edgeworth, as I have watched over your studies, I am giving you this very rare chance. You must prove yourself, and crush the defendant's pathetic lies into oblivion." Edgeworth stood straight as a military soldier. "Yes, sir!" Von Karma smiled proudly, then dropped it and closed his eyes. "To be honest, I'm a little disappointed in how things turned out. Today's trial should have ended in just one minute."

Edgeworth nodded. "Because the defendant was picked up by the security camera, correct? I remember it being played during the trial. I am grateful you have taught me so well, else the sound of the gunshot might have brought back old memories." "I understand," Von Karma said, "That is one of the reasons I pushed you so hard, to rise above the darkness of the past. In any event, I am disgusted that the defendant had to gall to say he only killed because he was told to. Whether this was truth or not is irrelevant. The point is he was the one to pull the trigger, Faraday proved that much before he was accused." "I still find it hard to swallow that Faraday could have been the one to give the defendant the order to kill," Edgeworth replied.

Von Karma scoffed. "Faraday is such a fool. He's been cornered by his very own prey." Edgeworth titled his head. "Sir... Are you acquainted with Mr. Faraday?" "In a professional manner," Von Karma replied, "I've always seen him as a weak man who speaks nothing but nonsense. He once tried to explain to me a way of punishing 'those who cannot be brought to court'. Of course, most people would assume that no one is above the law. However, there are always a few exceptions. But for a prosecutor, there is no reason to even deal with such individuals. After all, a prosecutor is a guardian of the court. As such, we have no obligation to outside matters."

"I understand, sir," Edgeworth said, "And have no fear. I do not intend to disgrace myself as Faraday has. In his place, I shall prove the defendant's guilt!" Von Karma gave an approving smile. "Very good. I've secured an hour-long recess for you to prepare." He gave a quick snap of his fingers. "Show them all... The power of Von Karma!" Edgeworth bowed. "I shall endeavor to do no less. Now then, if I recall the case file correctly, we are dealing with a murder case that occurred on September 8 in front of the Cohdopian Embassy. The victim was Mr. Deid Mann, a staff member at the embassy. The defendant is Mr. Mack Rell, who was held for questioning due to being deemed suspicious. Since he was found with the murder weapon, his own gun, he was placed under arrest."

"Correct so far," Von Karma said, "But do you remember the other major event that occurred that night?" "Of course," Edgeworth replied, "That same night the embassy had been successfully infiltrated by the Great Thief Yatagarasu. In fact, at first Rell claimed that he _was _the Yatagarasu, but that he did not kill Deid Mann. I still wonder what he hoped to gain from this lie." Von Karma scoffed. "Perhaps he intended to go down with the ship if he was found guilty. Or, more likely, he hoped that by claiming to be the Yatagarasu they would assume he couldn't be the murderer, since everyone knows the Yatagarasu never kills. Anyway, continue." "Yes, sir," Edgeworth said, "During the course of the trial, the prosecution presented the security footage that captured the murder, which clearly showed Mr. Rell as being the murderer."

He smiled. "Rather impossible to lie one's way through that. Indeed, upon seeing the video, the defendant retracted his statement and admitted to the murder, but then claimed he had been told to commit the killing by the real Yatagarasu, whom he claimed was Byrne Faraday." "Very good," Von Karma said with an approving nod, "Though you did leave out one detail." He chuckled at Edgeworth's expression. "Fear not, this is something that wouldn't have been in the case record. As it happens, people have been calling this case the second KG-8 Incident." Edgeworth frowned. "I'm sorry, sir. It appears I haven't studied as hard as I thought." Von Karma shook his head. "There's no need to feel ashamed. Even among the police, that's information only a select few are privy too."

Now curious, Edgeworth asked, "Would you care to enlighten me about this, sir?" Von Karma nodded. "The only remaining record of the incident can be found at the archives of the III headquarters, though I was able to procure a copy. I thought it might be necessary to bring you up to speed." He handed Edgeworth a folder containing a three-year-old newspaper. "I believe you are familiar with the Amano Group scandal, correct?," Von Karma asked. Edgeworth nodded. "Of course. I remember the case being overseen by Naoto Tatsumi of the III. From what I understand, she still thinks there are unanswered questions. The scandal involved the secretary of Ernest Amano, the Group's director, being arrested on suspicion of smuggling."

"Correct," Von Karma said, "Cece Yew was an employee of Mr. Amano's and the sole witness to the smuggling operation. She had contacted one of the key members of III for assistance, but the police have never released which one due to the on-going Kira investigation. Anyway, before Ms. Yew could testify, she was silenced forever." Edgeworth nodded. "As I recall, a Cohdopian Embassy staff member was arrested for the murder." "That's right," Von Karma said, "His name was Manny Coachen, a Cohdopian native. However, due to lack of evidence, the case went unresolved. I can see why Mrs. Tatsumi still wants the case investigated." He scoffed. "I only wish I had been in charge of the case. I would have done everything in my power to see Coachen's guilt!" Edgeworth recalled all the rumors about Von Karma and his perfect record. But to him, it was just a sign of Von Karma's dedication.

"Faraday was the prosecutor on the case then as well," Von Karma continued, "And he was as pathetic as ever." Suddenly everything became clear to Edgeworth. "I see now. Why you said this case is being called the second KG-8 Incident. Events are unfolding in a manner similar to that case. I recall from the case file that Deid Mann was to testify in a smuggling operation centered around the embassy, but was killed before his day in court." Von Karma nodded. "You're catching on. There is only one difference between that day and this." "The appearance of the Yatagarasu," Edgeworth said, "He only started appeared _after_ the KG-8 Incident." "Indeed," Von Karma replied, "The so-called noble thief. No doubt he was there that night to steal any dark secrets from the embassy and have them publicly released."

He crossed his arms. "And this time, it appears the Yatagarasu sent the item he stole straight to the police." Edgeworth put a hand to his chin. "What was it the Yatagarasu sent?" Von Karma just shrugged. "I don't know the full details. Anything related to the Yatagarasu is getting the top-secret treatment, and more often than not sent straight to III for inspection. I wish it wasn't. As large as that organization is, they have their hands full enough with this Kira nonsense." "That reminds me," Edgeworth said, "I remember seeing Coachen in the viewing gallery. Why has Kira not targeted him?" "I don't know," Von Karma said, "But as of late Kira's killings have been more limited, largely due to media restrictions. Perhaps he has simply not learned of Coachen yet."

Edgeworth nodded. "Anyway, getting back on topic, I believe this may be the first time the Yatagarasu has left evidence behind, correct?" "Yes, indeed," Von Karma replied, "If you wish to know more about this elusive thief, you can ask Mr. Faraday about it. He happens to be in charge of the Yatagarasu case." _'Most interesting,'_ Edgeworth thought, _'It would seem Faraday has a lot on his plate.'_ As he was lost in thought, he suddenly felt someone tug on the back of his jacket. He looked behind him to see a little girl no older than eight. She was dressed in a pink sailor shirt with jean shorts and high tops. In her hand was a pink balloon, and she had black hair done up in a spiky topknot. "Excuse me mister," she said to Edgeworth, "Can you trade these coins with me?"

Edgeworth looked at the assortment of coins in the girl's hand. "It seems you have a whole dollar here." He got his wallet out of his pocket and pulled out a dollar bill. "Is this what you want?" The girl smiled and nodded as she took the bill from Edgeworth's hand. "Thanks! That's just what I needed." As the girl ran off, Edgeworth wondered aloud, "I wonder if she's here to watch the trial." Just then, a bailiff entered the lobby. "Sorry for being so late, sirs, but I've completed the substitution forms." Von Karma growled, but Edgeworth simply said, "No need to get angry, sir. Not being completely prepared could be the perfect handicap for me." Von Karma looked to his pupil and smirked. "Rather confident, eh? Very well then, let's return to the courtroom. And be sure to retrieve the evidence from Faraday."

* * *

_September 10, 4:00 PM_

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 3_

Inside the courtroom, only Edgeworth, Von Karma, and a bailiff were waiting inside. The look of impatience was clear on everyone's face. "Just what is going on!?," Von Karma demanded, "Why isn't Faraday here yet!? And the defense is not prepared either!" Just then, the judge for the trial entered the courtroom and took his chair. He was a rather corpulent individual in his fifties. He was either bald or all his hair had migrated to his impressively large white beard. He was dressed in the traditional black garb of a judge. He looked over to the Prosecutor's Bench and saw Edgeworth standing there. "Ah, you must be the one Mr. Von Karma recommended. So this is your first trial then? I look forward to your performance. By the way, was there someone celebrating a birthday during the recess? I thought I heard a popper going off..."

Edgeworth cleared his throat. "Your Honor, the trial is about to restart, however we do not yet have the evidence from Faraday, and the defense has yet to arrive as well." Just then, someone screamed out, "We have a emergency!" Into the courtroom burst a burly looking man dressed in what looked like a standard issue detective's outfit, with the white shirt and brown tie, dark green overall's, black dress shoes, and light brown jacket. The man had slightly spiked black hair, and a small bandage on one cheek. Von Karma rapped his cane on the floor. "There shall be no yelling in this sacred hall of law!" The detective slumped. "Sorry sir, but we've got a serious problem in Defendant Lobby No. 2! Both Mr. Faraday and the defendant have been found dead!"

* * *

_September 10_

_District Court_

_Hallway_

L was crouching in front of a bench just outside the scene of an unexpected murder. _'To think both Byrne Faraday and the defendant, Mack Rell, would wind up dead during recess. Someone should do something about security in this building.'_ He turned his head to look at the gruff detective standing guard outside the Defendant Lobby. His detective's outfit was slightly different, indicating a higher rank. The shirt was black with a white tie, and the jacket was gray. It was also riddled with bullet holes. His short hair was grayed, and he had a trim mustache and goatee. There was what appeared to be a white stick in his mouth. Also in the hallway was the defense attorney for the trial. She a young and rather attractive woman in a blue suit. She had waist length hair that was surprisingly gray for someone her age. "Excuse me," came a voice from behind L.

He turned to see someone who looked like they had stepped out of Victorian London. "That's an interesting costume," L said, "But Halloween is yet to arrive." "I beg your pardon!?," Edgeworth said, "This is the garb of one who gallantly prosecutes the guilty." L smirked. "Seems someone needs to get with modern times. So anyway, what's your name?" The young man stood straight and bowed. "I am Miles Edgeworth, pupil to the great Manfred von Karma. And what, pray tell, is your name?" L stood up. "My name is... Rue Ryuzaki." He didn't say his real name in case word got out that he was supposed to be dead. Edgeworth rubbed his chin. "I think I've heard that name somewhere, but I can't seem to recall. Anyway, just what do you mean by crouching like that?"

"I thought I smelled something sweet," L said, "But it seems the ants got to it first. Oh yeah, I also heard there was a murder here and hoped to help investigate. I happen to be a detective of sorts, you see. However, the more professional detective over there is keeping out everyone who tries to get in, and I'd rather not pick a fight in the middle of a courthouse." Edgeworth nodded. "I too had hoped to find out what is going on, but I can't make any headway without speaking directly to a few people." L noted another detective had shown up, clearly out of breath. "You might want to start with him." Edgeworth nodded and walked over to the detective with L following.

"So then," Edgeworth said to the detective, "Just who exactly are you?" The detective suddenly scowled. "Hey pal, it's common courtesy to introduce yourself before asking other people their name." L looked over to Edgeworth. "He does have a point." Edgeworth cleared his throat. "Very well. My name is Miles Edgeworth, district prosecutor. And this is Rue Ryuzaki, a detective." The detective looked a little confused. "I've never seen a prosecutor as young as you pal. And what kind of detective doesn't wear their regulation outfit." "I'm more of a private detective," L said, "Now then, what about your name?" The detective stood straight and gave a salute. "Detective Dick Gumshoe! I recently became a detective, too. It's been my biggest dream!"

Edgeworth couldn't help but grumble. _'This detective is too excited to be at a murder scene.'_ He looked at Gumshoe. "So Detective Gumshoe, what exactly do you know about the incident?" "You know I don't have to tell you anything, right?," Gumshoe asked. "I'd tell him anyway," L said, "Prosecutor's control the payments of you professional detectives." Gumshoe gulped. "I get it. Well, I don't really know much anyway. You'll have to get all the details from Detective Badd. As for me, I was standing guard in the hallway outside Defendant Lobby No. 2." "I see," Edgeworth said, "You were the guard detail. And did you notice anything strange while on duty?" Gumshoe nodded. "I kinda freaked out when I heard a gunshot and froze."

Edgeworth looked sympathetic. "I can hardly blame you, detective though you may be. I've also had the misfortune to know what it's like to hear a gunshot at close range." "What happened after the gunshot?," L asked. "Well, I guess Detective Badd must have heard the gunshot too," Gumshoe said, "Cause he came running to the scene. Then we went into Lobby No. 2 to check on Mr. Faraday and the defendant. Only we found them both lying there, dead." "I see," Edgeworth said, "And is that everything?" Gumshoe looked like he was thinking for a second, then said, "Yeah, that's it. I was in the hallway the whole time, and I didn't hear any signs of a struggle."

After finishing with Gumshoe, Edgeworth and L went to speak to the defense attorney. "Greetings," Edgeworth said to her, "My name is Miles Edgeworth, Mr. Faraday's replacement. And this is Rue Ryuzaki, a private detective." The attorney smirked. "Wow, I didn't know that Faraday's replacement was a newbie." Edgeworth scoffed. "I'll have you know that I studied under Manfred von Karma himself." "You know Edgeworth," L said, "Given Von Karma's reputation, that may not mean much to some people." All of a sudden, the attorney burst out in uncontrollable laughter. _'Wow,'_ L thought, _'She reminds me of Yukiko.' _"Oh man," the attorney said through her laughter, "So you're a student of Von Karma? I should have known, those clothes of yours are a dead giveaway!"

Edgeworth growled. "Is everyone going to make fun of my clothes today?" "No," L said, "Most people have more courtesy than that." That just made the attorney laugh even harder. "Oh man, you too would make a great comedy duo. But next time try not to make me laugh so much, alright? Anyway, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Calisto Yew." L raised an eyebrow. _'Yew? Where have I heard that name before?'_ "Ah, but of course!," Edgeworth said, "I have heard much about you." Calisto began laughing again. _'I take it back,'_ L thought, _'Yukiko was never _this _bad.'_ "Man," Calisto said, "Get a load of Shakespeare over here!" Edgeworth flinched, then recovered and cleared his throat. "Anyway Ms. Yew, could you give us an update on the situation?"

Calisto just shrugged her shoulders. "I don't really know much. You should try talking to the detectives." "If that's the case," Edgeworth said, "Then why are you here?" Calisto burst out laughing again. "What did I say now?," Edgeworth said, slightly perturbed. L looked at him. "I guess Von Karma never taught you about tact when speaking." Calisto calmed down. "Sorry about that. Anyway, the person I was up against in court just got murdered, as well as my client. Really, were you expecting me to go back into the courtroom pretending as though nothing happened?" "Ah," Edgeworth said, "A good point. I apologize for my insensitive question." Calisto shrugged. "It's fine."

"Charming girl," L said as he scratched his temple, "Now let's talk with the other detective." He and Edgeworth walked over to the gruff-looking detective. "If you'll excuse me," Edgeworth said, "I am Miles Edgeworth, district prosecutor, and this is..." "Rue Ryuzaki," the detective said, "He introduced himself to me earlier. My name's Tyrell Badd, homicide division." Edgeworth crossed his arms. "I was informed of the situation here and came as quickly as possible. How did you arrive here first?" "Faraday requested me to testify in today's trial," Badd said, "Plain and simple. Anyway, I've already contacted HQ about the incident. I have nothing more to say to you, kid." Edgeworth's eyebrow twitched. "I am Mr. Faraday's replacement in this trial. I insist you update me on the situation!"

Badd didn't bat an eye. "I gotta teach you how to speak to adults, kid?" He reached into his jacket. Edgeworth flinched, afraid Badd was going for his gun. But all he pulled out was a small hand mirror. L snickered. "You'll have to excuse him, Badd. It's his first time as a prosecutor. I'd imagine he's expecting all detective to answer when he gives a question." Badd scoffed as he looked at the mirror. "Fine then. Faraday was stabbed to death with some kind of blade. And he had a gun in his hand. The other man, Mack Rell, was shot and killed. He had a bloody knife in his hand." L nodded. "In other words, the initial theory is that they killed each other." "You got it," Badd said, "But it doesn't take a Sherlock Holmes to come to that conclusion."

"Was there anyone else who went into Defendant Lobby No. 2?," Edgeworth asked. Badd put his mirror away. "Yeah, the big lug Gumshoe over there. He was in charge of guarding the lobby. He claims that no one else entered the room." "So perhaps they did kill each other," Edgeworth said, "By the way, why was I not informed that you would be testifying in court today?" "Don't you know?," L said, "Detective Badd is also in charge of the Yatagarasu case. Special assignment from III so the main force could continue work on the Kira case." Edgeworth nodded. "I get it, you were called upon to comment on the Yatagarasu's characteristics in order to determine whether or not Faraday could really be the Yatagarasu." Badd smiled. "Looks like you have a brain after all, son." L snickered. "Congratulations, you've been promoted in his mind."

As they were talking, a bailiff came by and walked over to Calisto. "Ms. Yew, there's someone here to see you. A Cohdopian Embassy staff member by the name of... Manny Coachen." Edgeworth's eyebrow raised. _'I remember that name. Coachen was the prime suspect of the KG-8 Incident.'_ He noticed L had his thumb to his lips. "Coachen...," L muttered, "So he is here then. I thought I recognized him. I never figured Naoto of all people might screw up." Calisto seemed a little tense. "I'll be right there." Calisto walked over to Coachen. After they talked for a bit, they headed out of the hallway. As they walked out the door, Von Karma passed right by them. "Ah," he said when he saw Badd, "I should have known you'd be here Detective Badd. You usually show up when the Yatagarasu is involved."

"Well, well," L said, "The infamous Manfred von Karma in the flesh. If you would only focus less on a perfect win record and more on actual justice, a prosecutor of your caliber would a perfect addition for III." Von Karma smiled. "I am honored to even be considered. I take it then that you are a member yourself, Mr...?" "Rue Ryuzaki," L said, "And yes. So I take it you know Detective Badd then?" "Indeed," Von Karma replied, "A most excellent detective. He's like an old bloodhound, never leaving the scent of a crime. If he really wanted, he could get promoted easily." Badd smiled. "It's the crime scene where a detective is most useful Von Karma." Von Karma smiled for a second, then became rather serious.

"That man who just passed by, was he not the suspect from the KG-8 Incident!? Faraday must truly be an imbecile to let such easy prey slip from his grasp!" L wagged his finger in front of Von Karma. "Now, now Von Karma, let's not speak ill of the dead. It's tactless. Besides, there's no probable cause to arrest Mr. Coachen. Unfortunately, he's currently protected by double-jeopardy law since he was found not guilty at the end of the KG-8 trial." Von Karma's eyebrow twitched. "I can tell you're as upset by that as I am Mr. Ryuzaki. Anyway, to get back on topic... Detective Badd, I am hereby placing my pupil Edgeworth in charge of the investigation..." "OBJETION!," came a young girl's voice from across the hall. L looked behind Von Karma to see a young girl about thirteen years old racing into the hallway.

She was dressed in a black riding jacket and white riding pants, and had a riding crop in her gloved hands. Her silvery hair came down to her shoulders. "Papa!," she said to Von Karma, "How can you place him in charge!?" L turned to Edgeworth. "Someone you know?" "Franziska von Karma," Edgeworth explained, "Manfred von Karma's oldest daughter, and my junior." He turned to Franziska. "Just what are you doing here?" Franziska smiled. "Summer vacation of course, what else? And what do you mean 'your junior'!? You're the one that's junior to me!" L chuckled. "Inferiority complex, Ms. Von Karma? How quaint." Edgeworth smiled as he touched his forehead. "You wouldn't happen to be avoiding the Bar Examination, would you?"

"Hah," Franziska scoffed, "If you were able to pass, I'll have no trouble at all." L looked over to Badd. "These prosecutors are getting younger every year, aren't they?" Badd nodded, but said nothing. "Anyway Papa," Franziska said, "Are you really assigning Miles Edgeworth to this case? I'm close to becoming a prosecutor myself, and I'm 100% confident that I can do a better job than him!" "Actually," L said, "With that attitude, you only have 30% chance of being better." Von Karma chuckled. "I see. Very well then. Detective Badd, the two will be conducting the investigation." Badd was flabbergasted. "You want me to let these kids walk all over the crime scene?" Von Karma waved his finger. "This will be the perfect opportunity for them to work on their skills."

"How interesting," L said, "Mr. Von Karma, with your permission, I'd like to assist them and evaluate their potential." Von Karma nodded. "Very well then. Edgeworth! Franziska! I leave this case to the two of you. I'll accept nothing but a perfect report from both of you." "Yes sir," Edgeworth said with a bow. "Of course Papa," Franziska said with a curtsey. Von Karma nodded, then walked off. Badd grumbled. "I can't believe I'm stuck playing babysitter." Franziska looked over to L. "I almost forgot to ask your name." L nodded. "Rue Ryuzaki. I'm a private detective." Satisfied, Franziska turned to Edgeworth. "Well now, Miles Edgeworth. This case will prove the perfect chance for us to see who is worthy of the Von Karma name."

Edgeworth sighed. "Would it kill you to say hello every once in a while?" Franziska blinked, then cleared her throat. "Long time no see. Don't go acting all proud just because you became prosecutor first!" She lashed her riding crop, whipping Edgeworth rather soundly. "Ouch," L said, "That hurt me just watching. Was she always whip-happy?" Edgeworth sighed. "You have no idea..." "As I was saying," Franziska said, "We shall see which of us is worthy of the Von Karma name." Edgeworth smirked. "Anyway, getting back to the case at hand. Detective Badd, if you could quickly run us through the facts?" Badd scoffed. "You're better off checking out the scene for yourself." Edgeworth nodded. "Very well then."

* * *

_September 10, 4:15 PM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 2_

Inside the lobby lay the grizzly sight. Mack Rell was laying dead on the floor, a bloody knife in his right hand. Byrne Faraday was laying on top of him, also dead, with a gun in his right hand. Scattered near them were several plastic bags, one of which had blood on it. Already a chalk outline had been drawn around the bodies for later reference. "Could they really have killed each other simultaneously...?," Edgeworth muttered to himself. L overheard him. "We won't know that unless we get a good look at the scene as a whole. Make sure to keep any important details in the back of your mind for later. A good investigator, be they detective or prosecutor, never let's even the tiniest details slip by them." Edgeworth nodded. "Good advice."

"Miles Edgeworth!," Franziska said, "You should listen to someone until they finish talking!" "Um," L said, "I _was_ finished." Franziska growled. "I meant myself. As I said before, this is a competition to see who is truly worthy of the Von Karma name! The rules are simple, the one who figures out the truth first wins." L tilted his head. "I still don't get it. If you're the only one here whose last name is Von Karma, doesn't the honor of inheriting the name default to you?" Edgeworth chuckled. "She seems to think I am something a of a son to Von Karma, since he trained me in the same manner as her. It's actually rather cute." Franziska blushed. "Don't... Don't change the subject! You may have become a prosecutor first Miles Edgeworth, but I refuse to hear any more foolish things come from your foolishly, foolish mouth. Or you Rue Ryuzaki."

L rolled his eyes. "Can we just get on with the investigation? The truth isn't going to find itself you know. Evidence may speak volumes, but you can't hear it unless you collect it." "Very well then," Franziska said, "I shall find the perfect evidence and prettily present it like the professional I am." At that moment, Badd entered the room. "Hey you kids..." "Hah," Franziska laughed, "He just called you a kid Miles Edgeworth." L smirked. "If you were listening, he said kids. I believe he was speaking to you as well, Franziska." Franziska became flustered. Badd just went for his mirror. "I'm not going to allow you two to cause a ruckus on my crime scene." He turned to Gumshoe, who was standing nearby. "You're in charge of these two for the time being big guy."

Gumshoe saluted. "Yes sir Detective Badd! Alright, kids. You gotta do what I say from now on, okay?" Franziska simply brandished her crop. "You'd better not get in our way, Scruffy, or you'll feel the bite of my whip!" "Eek!," Gumshoe flinched, "Th-Then you, prosecutor boy! Let's get your investigation started!" Edgeworth crossed his arms as his eyebrow twitched. "The name is Miles Edgeworth. Call me 'prosecutor boy' again, and it will be my duty to 'look into' your monthly salary." L smirked. "Didn't I warn about this earlier, Gumshoe?" "Oh yeah," Gumshoe said, looking a little dejected, "Sorry about that, Mr. Edgeworth, sir." Edgeworth nodding, satisfied. "That's better. Now then, on to the investigation. Ryuzaki, I trust you will be assisting us?" L nodded. "If it will make finding the truth here easier."

Edgeworth looked over to Detective Badd. "I suppose the first question I should ask you is the obvious one. Where did the victims get these weapons, the gun and the knife?" Badd took out his mirror again. "The gun was inside Faraday's bag." L got it. "Then it's the same gun that was used to kill the embassy staff member, correct?" "You got it," Badd said, "The knife on the other hand... This is the first I've heard of it. Mr. Rell was being detained by police, so there's no way could have brought it in. I'm assuming Faraday had the knife on him from the start as well." Edgeworth thought to himself, _'Could this have been a piece of evidence yet to be presented? But then, why wouldn't Detective Badd know about it? Unless...'_ He looked at Badd. "I think it may be possible that Mr. Faraday brought the knife in under the guise of prosecutorial evidence. He then brought it out and attacked Mr. Rell with it." "There a 27% chance you're right," L said, "But I'm in the habit of investigating the smaller possibilities first."

Badd nodded. "It looks like Faraday attacked Rell first, who then counter-attacked. That's the logical conclusion one could draw from this." "Perhaps not," Edgeworth said, "It's still far too early to be drawing conclusions. Let's have a closer look at the scene first." He first walked over to the open window. The black curtains had been drawn back, revealing the bars on the window. "Hm," Edgeworth said, "There's a scent of fresh flowers coming from outside." Gumshoe wrinkled his nose. "Those flowers in the garden are so ghastly. But that aside, there's no way anyone could have gotten through this window, pal!" L nodded. "Not with those bars in place, at least." Edgeworth tapped his forehead. _'That's something to keep in mind for later.'_

Moving next to the folding table in the room, Edgeworth made a quick note of it. "Several plastic bags stacked up, as well as a tea set. Strange... There's no sign of any disturbance. It's all tidy." _'A little too tidy,'_ he thought, _'I'd better make a mental note of this.'_ "Oh, I know," Gumshoe said, "Maybe they were super quiet in their scuffle?" L and Edgeworth glared at him. "I hardly think that's the case Gumshoe," L said, "I hope you saved the receipt for that theory." Gumshoe shrugged. "Well, when you consider I couldn't hear anything from the outside..." Edgeworth shook his head. "No, I think those plastic bags scattered on the floor are throwing us off." Gumshoe then noticed the TV in the corner of the room. "Hey, check it out. My TV back home is so tiny compared this one, pal!"

L raised an eyebrow. "Actually, by today's standards, this is a pretty normal-sized TV." Gumshoe pressed the button to turn the TV on. The static that came on was so loud everyone in the room had to cover there ears. Gumshoe quickly turned the TV off. "This TV is way too noisy." "Gumshoe!," Badd yelled, "Are you trying to compromise the scene!? Above all else, a good detective must always maintain preservation of a crime scene!" Gumshoe slumped. "Sorry, sir." Edgeworth sighed as he shook his head, then went over to inspect the bodies. "It looks like Mr. Faraday fell on top of Mr. Rell." "I got it," Gumshoe said, "My detective's instincts tell me... That Mr. Rell had to have fallen first!" L groaned. "There's a little something called common sense. Give me a second and I can give you the phone number for it."

Edgeworth knelt down beside the bodies. "We can clearly see the gun in Mr. Faraday's right hand. But, from looking at the scene as is, all we figure is that he shot Mr. Rell and then somehow simply fell on top of him while gripping the gun." "That does seem strange," Gumshoe said, "How would Faraday even know how to fire a gun?" L just facepalmed. "It's not rocket science. Any idiot can fire a gun." Gumshoe sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Anyway, it looks like Mr. Rell died with the knife in his hand." Edgeworth noted the knife. "It looks like there's a bit of blood on it, meaning that Mr. Rell may have used this as a weapon." L put his thumb to his lips. "But, why would Faraday have brought this knife in the first place?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Edgeworth said. He then took a look at the plastic bags near the bodies. "What are these bags doing here?" "Those are for keeping evidence safe, pal," Gumshoe said. Edgeworth glared at him. "I know what they're for, I asked what they're doing here. As in, why are they scattered on the floor like this." Edgeworth rubbed his chin. "There's something off about this." Gumshoe then noticed something on Faraday's other hand. "Hey take a look. Faraday's left hand is all black down the side. What is that stuff?" "That's actually a good observation," L said with surprise, "Upon closer examination, it appears to be ink." _'Ink, huh?,'_ Edgeworth thought, _'That's worth noting.'_

"An ink stain?," Gumshoe asked. L nodded. "Have you ever written with a pen or pencil and later found some kind of gunk on your hands? It's because the oil on your skin picks up the ink or graphite that you're writing with. Some people forget to wipe it off." "I get it, pal," Gumshoe said, "So I guess that means Faraday may have been using a pen recently!" Edgeworth got up. "Detective Badd, something has just occurred to me. The only reason we think the cause of death for each victim was shooting and stabbing is because of the weapons present. But with the bodies as they are, it's difficult to tell for sure. If you could have one of your men move the bodies in a such a way that we could get a better look?"

Franziska pointed her crop at Edgeworth. "What's this, you can't form a theory with the bodies as they are?" Edgeworth crossed his arms. "I believe a more detailed examination of the bodies is vital to finding perfect evidence. So, Detective Badd, if you would be so kind?" Badd nodded. "Okay, big guy. You heard him." Gumshoe gulped. "Yes... Yes, sir!" L noted that Gumshoe was deliberately trying to avoid touching anything that might have blood on it. "Gumshoe, are you a hemophobe?" Gumshoe, having finished moving the bodies so their fronts could be clearly seen, rubbed the back of his head. "Not sure. What does that mean?" "I mean," L said, "Are you afraid of the sight of blood?" "Oh," Gumshoe said, "Then... Yeah, I am..." Edgeworth looked at Gumshoe with sympathy, then observed the bodies.

He could now see the fatal wounds on both victims. He also noticed something in Faraday's pocket. "Is that... A fountain pen?" "Looks like it," L said, "It's probably his own. And as we can see..." He looked over the bodies. "Faraday has a knife wound, and Rell has a gunshot wound. We can have the lab tech confirm it, but I think there's an 84% chance that the weapons each victim is holding are the murder weapons." Edgeworth then noticed something. "Mr. Rell's clothes... There are no burn marks on them." Gumshoe scratched his head. "Burn marks?" "When a gun is fired," L explained, "The powder in the shell casing is ignited, causing the bullet to be propelled through the air. If a shot is fired at point-blank range, there are usually burn marks left at the bullet's point of impact."

Edgeworth nodded. "Which means that Mr. Rell was shot from at least a yard away." "Boy," Gumshoe said, "You two sure know a lot of neat stuff." "The stone age called," L said, "They want their ignorance back." Edgeworth chuckled as he shook his head. "Anyway, let us now try to understand how each man died. From what we have seen so far, we can assume that Mr. Faraday first took the gun and knife out from today's trial evidence. He then aimed the gun at Mr. Rell and fired. However, Mr. Rell was able to grab the knife and counter-attack while being shot. And then the two men fell together where they stood. That's my initial theory, but having presented it, I do find something off about it. Regardless, now that I have firmer grasp of the case, I had better start connecting my thoughts."

Edgeworth tapped his temple in thought for a second, then came up with something. "That ink splotch on Mr. Faraday's hand... Perhaps it came from his fountain pen?" "Ooh," Gumshoe said, "Let's ask the lab guy." Sure enough, the lab tech was able to confirm that ink on Faraday's hand and the ink from his pen were identical. "From this information," L said, "I think it can be safe to assume that Mr. Faraday was left-handed." Edgeworth nodded. "And that makes his fountain pen very important to our case." He went back to thinking, then came up with something else. "There's a very neat pile of plastic bags on the table, yet a portion of them wound up scattered on the floor. Since they couldn't have been knocked off without the whole pile being disturbed, I think there may be another explanation for them being there."

L pressed his thumb against his lips. "Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that one of the plastic bags has blood on it." Edgeworth nodded. "I did notice that. Rather hard to miss, actually. Detective Gumshoe, could you have the lab tech analyze this blood." "Sure," Gumshoe said in a queasy voice, "Just don't wave it in front of me like that, pal." After a few minutes of talking with the lab tech, Gumshoe came back. "Turns out the blood is Mr. Faraday's. And according to the lab guy, there was nothing else on or in the bag." "I'd say this plastic evidence bag," L said, "Has just become evidence itself." Edgeworth nodded. He placed the bag in his organizer, which he had been writing in since before the case even began.

"Guess there's not much left to investigate," Gumshoe said, "They really did kill each other..." "I don't think so Gumshoe," Edgeworth said, "There's something that's been gnawing at me since I first put forth that theory. It's too simplistic. In fact, there's a glaring contradiction that shows another possibility." He looked through his notes, then pointed to the gun in Faraday's hand and shouted, "EUREKA! Here it is! We know that Mr. Faraday used his left hand to write with his fountain pen, ergo he is left-handed. And yet, the handgun used to kill Mr. Rell is in Faraday's right hand." L nodded. "I think it rather strange that a left-handed person would hold a gun in his right hand." "I think you guys are onto something here," Gumshoe said, "But how could that have happened?" "There is only reason," Edgeworth said, his arms crossed, "A third party put the gun in Mr. Faraday's hand after he died." L put his thumb to his lips. "Plastic bags scattered on the floor, a gun placed in the wrong hand... Someone else is behind all this, and they're trying to make it look like the victims killed each other."

* * *

_September 10_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 2_

Detective Badd walked over to Edgeworth and Franziska and handed each of them a copy of the autopsy report. Franziska read from it. "'It is probable that Mr. Rell survived for a short time after he was shot. However, Mr. Faraday died instantaneously from his stabbing.'" She closed her eyes and smiled. "How interesting. It looks we know everything we need now." "Are you sure about that?," Edgeworth said. Franziska waved her finger. "Of course. It's all clear now. Mr. Faraday attacked Mr. Rell for revenge. He went into a rage at being accused and attacked the defendant, but he fought back and they killed each other." L facepalmed. "Were you even trying to eavesdrop on what we were saying, or did you just tune it out thinking it was wrong by default?"

Franziska smiled. "I assume you agree with him, Miles Edgeworth?" "Considering our investigation so far," Edgeworth said, "I do." "Very well then," Franziska said, "Then let's put our information to the test." The two of them stood across from each other. Franziska cleared her throat. "I'll begin my theory. If you can find any contradictions, and I doubt you will, feel free to say so." She began her testimony. "Mr. Faraday's death was instantaneous, while Mr. Rell survived for a short time. From this, it is obvious that Mr. Faraday died after he shot Mr. Rell. And Mr. Rell, while on the brink of death, stole Mr. Faraday's knife and stabbed him." "HOLD IT!," Edgeworth called out, "Do you really believe the dying Mr. Rell could have stolen the knife from Mr. Faraday?"

"Well," Franziska said, "Human beings can do some pretty impressive things when put to the test." "I can attest to that," L said. Franziska nodded. "Obviously Mr. Rell did not want to die, so he struggled with Faraday, and was able to grab the knife and stab his attacker. The messy condition of this room is a testament to this. Perfect logic, wouldn't you say? They struggled, and Mr. Rell used the last of his strength to counterattack Mr. Faraday." "OBJECTION!," Edgeworth said, wagging his finger, "If the two men really were fighting, there would have been quite a bit of noise, and Detective Gumshoe testified that he heard absolutely nothing!" Franziska scoffed. "You really think that scruffy detective's testimony can be trusted? Even it is true, then how did Mr. Rell get his hands on the knife?" "Quite simple," Edgeworth said, "Mr. Faraday's bag was sitting right here in the lobby. It's not hard to see Mr. Rell seeing a chance to grab it when Faraday wasn't looking."

Franziska considered it. "I see, you're saying that Mr. Rell took the first chance he had and grabbed the knife. Then after that, Mr. Faraday shot Mr. Rell after being stabbed." "Not quite," Edgeworth said, "Something doesn't add up with that. It would have been impossible for Faraday to have shot Rell after being stabbed." He held the autopsy report. "TAKE THAT! According to the coroner's report, Mr. Faraday died instantaneously, meaning he died immediately upon being stabbed." "Well then," Franziska said, "There's only one logical conclusion. If Mr. Rell attacked first, then Mr. Faraday would have been unable to kill Rell since he died instantaneously. Therefore, Mr. Rell must have stabbed Faraday after being shot." Edgeworth smiled and shook his head. "For all the times you call others foolish, you often wind up looking foolish yourself when you fail to see the truth that is right in front of you."

Franziska angrily lashed her crop. "Are you saying there is a flaw in my logic!?" Edgeworth nodded. "You are proposing the Mr. Faraday took the gun from his evidence bag and shot Mr. Rell, after which the wounded Mr. Rell found an opportunity to take the knife strike back. After Mr. Faraday was stabbed, Mr. Rell died thereafter. However, I would like you to note the order in which the bodies are piled, in accordance with the crime scene notes." Franziska took a look at the notes, and realized what Edgeworth was getting at. "But, that can't be..." "It can," Edgeworth said, "Mr. Faraday's body is lying on top of Mr. Rell's. Thus, Mr. Rell had to have died first!" "OBJECTION!," Franziska yelled, "I think you need to think a little more outside the box on this. It's even clearer to me now that this all started with Faraday's murderous intent!"

"You've got to be kidding me," L said, "At this point I think she's arguing with Edgeworth for the sake of arguing." Franziska began her testimony again. "It was just chance that Mr. Faraday's body fell on top of Mr. Rell's. The two bodies fell into a pile, which indicates that they attacked at the same time." "HOLD IT!," Edgeworth called out, "What exactly do you mean?" "I assume Mr. Faraday had the two different weapons in his hands," Franziska explained, "So he made to attack Mr. Rell while holding both the knife and the gun. Then after Mr. Faraday fired, Mr. Rell grabbed the knife as he was falling and stabbed Faraday, which is how Mr. Rell wound up beneath Mr. Faraday. At close range, it is possible. That fact indicates that they attacked each other at the same time from close range."

"OBJECTION!," Edgeworth called out, "Sorry Franziska, but I must inform you that your theory is impossible. According to the crime scene notes, the firing of the handgun did not leave a gunpowder burn on Mr. Rell's clothing, indicating that gun was fired from at least two or three yards from Mr. Rell!" Franziska flinched, then scowled. "What a completely foolish line of foolish thought from a thoroughly foolish fool! If I'm not not right, who made the move with intent to kill!?" "Neither of them," Edgeworth said, "You see, here in this room, contradictions arise no matter who we say was the first to attack. Therefore the only logical conclusion, is that there was a third party!"

Franziska was taken aback by Edgeworth's theory, but he didn't back down. "It was this third person who killed both of our victims, then arranged the room to make it look like they had killed each other. That person is our real culprit!" "A fine theory," Franziska said, clearly shaken, "But where's the evidence to support this?" "Right in front of us," Edgeworth replied, "There's the gun in Mr. Faraday's hand, and the plastic bag with his blood on it. These two items point to the presence of a third person." Franziska tilted her head. "How so?" "According to Detective Gumshoe's testimony," Edgeworth explained, "He was in the hallway the whole time and heard nothing except the gunshot. If there was no struggle, there shouldn't be any plastic bags on the floor. That means that someone had to have scattered them deliberately!"

"It really makes sense when you think about it," L said, "If we disregard the gun for a moment, when a knife is used on someone there's a high probability of blood splatter. Given how clean the room is, and the lack of any sign of a clean-up, I'd say there's a 98% chance that someone used the plastic bag to catch the blood splatter after they withdrew the knife. After that they spread a few more plastic bags around and mixed the bloody one among them, giving the illusion of a struggle, albeit a poor one. I'm sure you were thinking this yourself, right Edgeworth?" Edgeworth nodded. "Indeed, and that was how the real killer was able to conceal their presence, for a short time at least."

Badd finished jotting down a few notes in his notebook. "Looks like we've still got a ways to go before we solve this." As he put away his notebook, there a call of, "OBJECTION!" They all turned to see Calisto and the judge walk into the room. "Mr. Badd," Calisto said, "I'd advise you to place Detective Gumshoe under arrest." "Oh really," L said, "And for what reason would that be?" Calisto smirked. "The detective claims he was there, standing in front of the door the entire time, but I have reliable source that it's one giant lie!" Edgeworth raised his eyebrow. "Perhaps you could explain that statement Ms. Yew." Calisto motioned to the judge. "I'll just let His Honor tell you himself." "Of course," the judge said, "You see, detectives and prosecutor, during the recess I remember a period of time when no one was in the hallway."

"There, you see," Calisto said, "Now why would a detective who was supposedly doing his job the whole time make up a lie like that?" L frowned. "You're not seriously trying to pin this murder on Gumshoe are you? If you are, I should have you keep in mind that the man is afraid of blood. You may brush that off as an act if you wish, but I just thought I'd mention it." "If this whole thing was done by Gumshoe," Franziska said, "That renders his testimony invalid." "HOLD IT!," Edgeworth said, "Detective Badd, I must first ask that you not act without my permission. Franziska and I are here for the perfect investigation, and right now Ms. Yew is missing something important from her accusation."

Badd paused for a minute. "And what's that?" Edgeworth smiled. "Why, motive of course. What reason could Detective Gumshoe have for killing Mr. Faraday and Mr. Rell?" "Good point," Badd said, "So big guy, out with it. You got something against Faraday?" Gumshoe shook his head. "No, sir! I don't a have any sort of grudge against Mr. Faraday!" "OBJECTION!," Calisto called out, "You really have a problem with lying, Gumshoe." "You know," L said, "There's a lot of objections flying around today. In any event, Ms. Yew, perhaps you'd like to clarify what it is Detective Gumshoe supposedly won't tell us. Be careful though..." He wagged his finger at Calisto. "Any inconsistencies or contradictions to what we know is the truth, and I shall point it out personally."

"Is that right?," Calisto said, "What, do you fancy yourself as the Great Detective L or something?" L couldn't help but smirk at this. "Why not humor me? You'll find out for yourself how good a detective I am." Calisto shrugged. "Very well." L held his hand out to Edgeworth. "If I may borrow your organizer for the time being, Mr. Edgeworth?" Edgeworth handed L his organizer as Calisto began her testimony while fixing her makeup. "It was... about a week ago. I saw the detective get chewed out by a livid Faraday in front of the precinct. He stood there super pale, as Mr. Faraday yelled, 'That's a salary cut for you, you nitwit!' A brand new detective suddenly getting his salary cut - that's reason enough for a grudge. Well? How's that for the 'perfect explanation'?" "HOLD IT!," L called out, "That seems a little less than perfect. While I'll admit you've given a plausible motive for Gumshoe killing Faraday, you've left out his motive for killing Mr. Rell."

"His motive for Rell's death?," Calisto said, "I wouldn't know that." "Then your explanation is flawed," L said, "Unless someone had a strong reason to kill both men, there's a 51% chance this crime could not have occurred. That is, of course, unless you can think of a reason otherwise." Calisto closed her compact. "Actually, I think as long as someone had a reason to kill one of the two, the crime would have still played out the way it did." "Oh really," L said, his thumb against his lips, "Do tell." Calisto began laughing again. "'Do tell'? Seriously, you're as funny as Edgeworth. You should do stand-up together." L smirked. "Just get on with your testimony, please." Calisto cleared her throat and began again.

"There's no one out there with a motive to kill both Mr. Faraday and Mr. Rell." "NOT SO FAST!," L called out, "Before you continue, I should say this much. There is someone out there who would have reason to kill both of these men that you've overlooked. Unless, of course, you'd rather not bring him up." Calisto seemed confused. "What do you mean?" "Well," L replied, "If we're looking for someone with a reason to kill both men, I can think of at least one person off the top of my head. The suspect of the original KG-8 Incident, who also happens to be a staff member of the Cohdopian Embassy, Mr. Manny Coachen. And don't go saying he wasn't even here either, because you spoke with him yourself out in the hallway. Mr. Rell had recently killed another staff member of the embassy, and Mr. Faraday was the prosecutor of the KG-8 trial, so I'd Coachen would have good reason to kill both of these men. Shame he has an alibi."

"Hold on," Franziska said, "Rue Ryuzaki, you go through all that trouble of telling us how Manny Coachen would be the perfect suspect, only to say he has an alibi!?" "I'm afraid so," L said, "You see, I remember seeing Mr. Coachen in the viewing gallery. I think a lot of people did, even Edgeworth. Naturally, every cop in the building would have had there eye on him. After all, he may have scored a legal victory in trial, but he still lost in the court of public opinion. With all those eyes on him, there's only a 1% chance he'd risk pulling off this murder. But I thought I should at least bring it up since Ms. Yew was insisting otherwise." "No way!," Gumshoe said, "Detective Badd, you've gotta believe me, I never set foot in this room!" Badd took a quick look in his mirror. "Then maybe there was someone else who could have entered?"

"I hate to say it," L said, "But Gumshoe would have told us if there was. Regardless, I think I can finish Ms. Yew's testimony for her. She was about to suggest that someone could have had a reason to kill only one of the two men, then killed the other to avoid creating a witness. Am I correct, Ms. Yew?" "Yeah," Calisto said, "Guess you're a pretty good detective after all." "Having said all that," L said, "There are a few things that are gnawing at me, telling me this case is far from over. As I've said, Gumshoe appears to suffer from hemophobia, fear of blood, which would make it hard to go through with a shooting or stabbing and still find a way to create the scene here. Also, there's that gunshot. For some reason I feel it was fabricated, though for the life of me I can't tell why. And there are other, seemingly nonsensical clues that may have new meaning given the new context."

"Well," Badd said, "We still need to go through the usual. Come on, Gumshoe. We need to take you to interrogation." He led a reluctant Gumshoe out of the lobby. _'I have a feeling Ryuzaki is right,'_ Edgeworth said, _'If Gumshoe really was the murderer, one would think he'd come up with a better lie than saying he was right in front of the crime scene the whole time. I'm sure Ryuzaki is thinking the same thing I am.'_ As Franziska and the judge left the lobby, Edgeworth stayed behind to speak with Calisto. "Regarding the murder of the Cohdopian Embassy staff member, I've heard that people are calling it the second KG-8 Incident. I'd like you to tell what you know about the original case." "Not much," Calisto said, "Only what I read in the papers."

Edgeworth smirked. "I can hardly believe that, since you're tied directly to that case. Specifically, through the victim." He held up the newspaper Von Karma had given him. "The victim in the KG-8 Incident was named Cece Yew. That doesn't strike me as a very common name, so unless I miss my guess you're related in some way to her, correct?" "Sure," Calisto said, "She was my sister. You probably remember that Coachen was in the hallway earlier and wanted to talk with me. He had only come here to watch the trial, since Deid Mann was his co-worker. But when he found out I was the defense attorney, he figured he could just say 'hi'. Oh yeah, and he also mocked me about not being able to resolve anything this time, either."

Edgeworth raised his eyebrow. "And what did he mean by that?" Calisto suddenly burst out laughing again. "Oh man! You wanna knock it off with serious face, already!?" She calmed down a bit. "Anyway, I'll admit when I heard about the double murder, I immediately thought Coachen was behind it. But it's as Ryuzaki said, he has a perfect alibi. Just to be safe, I asked around before considering anyone else. People in the gallery claim that he was in his seat the entire time. Shame too, I would have loved to have him arrested for the crime. After all, it was Coachen who killed my sister, Cece, before she could testify about the smuggling activities centered around the Amano Group." "I imagine it's hard for you," Edgeworth, "Knowing that Coachen can never be tried for that crime again due to his acquittal. And all because of a lack of evidence."

"Actually," Calisto said, "I heard the evidence to convict Coachen did exist, but someone had stolen it. According to Mr. Faraday, a man in black made off with the most important piece of evidence." Edgeworth was dumbfounded. "Then, someone tampered with the evidence!?" "Isn't that just like a criminal," Calisto said as she fixed her makeup, "I'm sure it was the smuggling ring operated by the Amano Group's secretary. They bailed Coachen out, because as it happens, they were in league with each other." Edgeworth crossed his arms. "Just how big was that smuggling operation?" Calisto shrugged. "Who knows? But it's the reason I wanted to be the lead defense on this case, the so-called second KG-8 Incident. I thought I could finally get some answers."

Edgeworth understood. "But you didn't learn anything new." "Afraid so," Calisto said, "Maybe I was expecting too much. For all I know, this case may not have anything to do with the smuggling ring. Anyway, that's all I know. Sorry if I wasn't much help." Edgeworth shook his head. "No, you've given me a lot to think about. Thank you." Calisto started laughing again. "You know, you should learn to lighten up, relax a little. We wouldn't want you to die of stress or anything. Maybe hang out with your friends sometime. Anyway, maybe I'll see you later." And with that, she walked out. L, who was still in the lobby, looked over to Edgeworth. "She does have a point. Although, do you have any friends? Besides Franziska, I mean."

"Once," Edgeworth said, "But I haven't been in contact with them since my father died. I wonder how Wright and Larry are doing now. Regardless, I believe the KG-8 Incident and this current investigation are linked somehow." L nodded. "I agree, and the sooner we find the connection, the sooner we solve this case. The biggest obstacle right now is breaking through Gumshoe's lie." "Indeed," Edgeworth said, "It's unnatural for a criminal to fabricate a story that would only hurt their chance of being found not guilty. Until I've completed my perfect investigation, this case will remain unsolved, and the truth will escape us forever."

To be continued...

**My word count... IT'S OVER 10,000! Sorry, I had to make the joke. Little variation on the DBZ meme. Anyway, you'll see whether or not L and Edgeworth can clear Gumshoe's name in the chapters to come, so read and review.**


	2. Chapter 2: Turnabout Reminiscence Part 2

**Wow, my new story has gotten some impressive attention already. Nice! Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, Persona, or Ace Attorney.**

Chapter 2: Turnabout Reminiscence Part 2

_September 10, 4:45 PM_

_District Court_

_3rd Floor Lobby_

L observed as Edgeworth and Franziska spoke with Von Karma. "With both the defendant and prosecutor dead," Von Karma said, "I'm afraid the trial ends here prematurely." Franziska smirked at Edgeworth. "Looks like you'll need to wait a little longer for your big debut." "I suppose it can't be helped," Edgeworth said with a shrug. "The evidence from the trial will be transferred to you in a little while," Von Karma said. Edgeworth looked at his mentor. "Sir, what do you think about the murder of the Cohdopian Embassy staff member in relation to the murders and Mr. Faraday and Mr. Rell?" Von Karma scoffed. "It's become a ridiculous circus, and all because of Faraday's naivete. I grow weary of this. Edgeworth, I'll have you assigned to another case shortly."

"Not just yet," L said, "This case isn't over. Gumshoe is far from the perfect suspect in this double murder, and there are a number of suspicious circumstances that need to be addressed. Not only that, but the evidence against Gumshoe is far from complete. Surely the perfectionist in you can understand that. And of course, for this investigation I will be needing Edgeworth and Franziska's help, since I have yet to fully evaluate their abilities as prosecutors." Von Karma nodded. "Very well then, you both may continue investigating with Ryuzaki's help. In court, top priority is winning, and a solid investigation is the key to that. And being at a real crime scene provides the perfect real-life experience for this. I shall return home. See to it I'm not disturbed, save for the results of the investigation."

As Von Karma walked out of the courthouse, Edgeworth turned to L. "My thanks, Ryuzaki. I doubt Mr. Von Karma would have allowed to continue this investigation if not for you." "He might have," Franziska said, "If I'd had the chance to tell him about out competition." L chuckled. "So you're still on that then." Franziska wagged her finger. "Edgeworth's earlier logic was based on the scruffy detective's testimony, which for all we now was one big lie. This means the truth has yet to come out, and the game is still on! I couldn't let Miles Edgeworth get off so easily." "In that case," L said, "Let's begin by questioning anyone involved in the case. And Franziska, this time I'd recommend joining us. That way you'll have more accurate information."

"Fine," Franziska said, "Why don't we start with Ms. Yew over there?" Calisto was standing by one of the doors in the lobby. She noticed them as they walked over to her. "Oh... Edgeworth, and Ryuzaki. And who's this with you? Wait... You were at the crime scene, weren't you?" Franziska growled. "I should have you disbarred for not knowing me! I am Franziska von Karma, soon to be successor to the family name." "In other words," Calisto said, "Right now you're still just another kid. Which means it's only natural I don't know you yet." Franziska angrily lashed out with her crop, striking L across the face. "That really hurt," L said, rubbing his cheek, "Please don't do that again."

Calisto could barely keep from laughing. "Sorry... Sorry about that. Anyway, it seems they're planning to hold the evidence for a bit longer. I really hate waiting." Edgeworth nodded. "I'm terribly sorry, but I would ask you a few more questions." Calisto burst out into laughter again. "Stop it already... That serious face and super-polite speech are going to give me an ulcer!" L scratched his temple. "How did someone with your attitude pass the bar examination?" Calisto started to calm down. "Sorry... Anyway, what exactly did you want to ask me?" "I'd like to inquire as to your whereabouts at the time of the murder." "I was with Detective Badd," Calisto said, "In Defendant Lobby No. 1. You can ask him yourself if you don't believe me." Edgeworth became curious. "Why were you with Detective Badd?"

"Well," Calisto said, "For starters, you should know he was the detective in charge of the KG-8 Incident, alongside Naoto Tatsumi." "So Detective Badd is connected to KG-8 as well?," Edgeworth said in surprise. Calisto nodded. "Yep. He was supposed to be protecting my sister, Cece. Of course, you know how that turned out." Franziska looked a little peeved. "Miles Edgeworth! I have no idea what you two are talking about! I mean, yeah, I've heard of the KG-8 Incident from Papa, but how does this relate to Ms. Yew?" "Don't you know?," L said, "Apparently the victim of that case is Calisto's sister, Cece Yew." "Yeah," Calisto said, "Don't worry about me though, I'm fine now. I just make it a point to rub salt in the wound every time I see him!"

_'It's rather creepy how nonchalant she is about that,'_ Edgeworth thought. "That reminds me," Calisto said, "About Mr. Badd and Mr. Faraday. It may just be me, but they seemed to meet up every single time the Yatagarasu made a move. It was almost a given." "Now that you mention it," Edgeworth said, "Ryuzaki did say earlier that Detective Badd was in charge of the Yatagarasu investigation." "Say Ms. Yew," Franziska said, "You said you were with Detective Badd at the time of the murder, but don't lawyers usually discuss the trial with their clients during recess?" Calisto nodded. "Normally, yes. But Mr. Faraday dragged Mr. Rell away shortly after the recess started. He seemed rather threatening. It was afterwards that Mr. Badd came into Lobby No. 1, so we just stayed and talked."

L pressed his thumb to his lips. "What exactly did you talk about?" Calisto shrugged. "Not much, I just insulted him some, we talked about how the trial was going, then I insulted him some more. Anyway, like I said, the two of us were in Defendant Lobby No. 1 when the murders occurred, so I couldn't tell you about anything outside of it." "What about your client, Mr. Mack Rell?," Edgeworth said, "As I recall, at first Mr. Rell claimed to be the Yatagarasu." "Yeah," Calisto replied, "Once I heard that it was the Yatagarasu that had made off with the KG-8 evidence, I asked Mr. Rell all kinds of questions. But it was pointless, as it turned out Rell wasn't the Yatagarasu." L raised an eyebrow. _'That doesn't fit with what I've heard about the Yatagarasu's modus operandi.'_

Calisto shook her head. "Rell had made the whole story up. There was security footage of him shooting the embassy staff member, but none of him sneaking into the building." Franziska scoffed. "So you knew he wasn't the Yatagarasu, and that he was just another cold-blooded killer, and still you defended him!?" "In other words," Edgeworth said, "A defense lawyer is little more than someone who covers for criminals." L wagged his finger. "You've been paying too much attention to Von Karma's way of thinking. A defense lawyer is simply there to make sure a person accused of a crime is not being accused without solid evidence. Their job is to make sure the police who accused the defendant understand the whole truth. After all, not every person accused of a crime is actually guilty."

"He's right," Calisto said, "Besides, if you recall, I actually have my own agenda. I'm still looking for leads regarding the KG-8 Incident. I wasn't concerned about defending Mr. Rell at all, but I had to become his lawyer to get close to him and find out what he knew." "I see," Edgeworth said, "Forgive my rashness. All that aside, I was wondering if you could tell me anything regarding the Yatagarasu." "Hm," Calisto said as she adjusted her makeup, "Not much. Although, I do get a lot of consultation requests from companies to defend them. After all, the Yatagarasu isn't some petty crook out for cash." "Then perhaps he's in the business of stealing lives?," Franziska asked rhetorically. "You know," Calisto said, "You're not very funny."

Franziska angrily raised her crop. "Franziska!," Edgeworth cried out, "Be careful about who you whip! Choose carefully, or we may be sued- YEOWCH!" As Edgeworth spoke, Franziska struck him with her crop. "There, careful enough for you?" L snickered. "You know Edgeworth, you kinda walked right into that." Calisto burst out laughing herself. "That was just hilarious, little missy!" "Hmph," Franziska said, "Of course it was." Edgeworth grumbled. "Why do you all seem to take pleasure from MY pain!?" The three of them just shrugged. "But seriously," Franziska said, "I've never heard of the Yatagarasu while in Germany." "Nor I in Britain or Japan," L added.

"Simply put," Calisto explained, "The Yatagarasu deals in information. His specialty is digging up all the dirt on any back-room dealings and similar shady business from companies. He then takes this information and makes it public for all to see. A real vigilante, if you ask me." Franziska crossed her arms. "He still sounds like just another criminal." "Maybe," Calisto said, "But I've gotten a lot more clients thanks to the Yatagarasu's actions." _'Rather interesting,'_ Edgeworth thought, _'And that appears to be everything we can get out of Ms. Yew.'_ He turned to L and Franziska. "Perhaps now would be a good time to speak with Gumshoe before he's hauled off for interrogation."

As it happened, Gumshoe on the other side of lobby being watched by one of the bailiffs. When Gumshoe saw Edgeworth and the others, he said, "Hey, it's you pal! YEOWCH!" Franziska had just whipped him with her crop. "I'm here too," she said. L snickered. "Shame on you for not addressing the young lady first. And before you go off on a tangent, you should know that I, at least, am not entirely convinced of your guilt in this manner. However, there a few things we need clarified." "Sure pal," Gumshoe said, "Whatever you need!" "To start with," Edgeworth said, "I believe you and Mr. Faraday had a small 'meeting' last week, correct? Just what did you do that made him so angry?"

"Well," Gumshoe said, "I actually asked Detective Badd about it afterwards. Turns out that on my first day as detective I reported at my usual post instead of Criminal Affairs. By the time I realized my mistake and got down there, I was really late. It was afterwards that Mr. Faraday read me the riot act." Franziska nodded sympathetically. "I used to do the same thing in elementary school. On the first day of every year I'd always wind up going to my old classroom by mistake." _'Way to make Gumshoe feel pathetic,'_ L thought to himself. He looked over to Gumshoe. "As you claimed, you were standing guard the whole time in front of Lobby No. 2. Just when did you receive the order, and from whom?"

Gumshoe thought for a second. "It was around 3:20, and the order came from Detective Badd, pal. After that crazy turn the trial took, I was told to make sure nothing happened to Mr. Faraday." "But something did happen," Franziska pointed, "It looks like it was total waste of manpower, leaving you on guard duty." "Ouch!," Gumshoe complained, "I don't what hurts worse, your riding crop or your words, pal..." "Anything else you'd care to tell us?," Edgeworth asked. Gumshoe seemed to pause for a moment. "Nope, nothing at all." "Well in that case," L said, "Perhaps you'd care to turn out your pockets. We may be able to find some information using the items on your personage."

Gumshoe searched through all his pockets. "This is all I really have on me, after my handcuffs and badge were confiscated." He handed L an open envelope. L read the front. "'Annual Bonus Check Within: $5.00 total'. Judging from the empty envelope, you've already cashed the check." Gumshoe nodded. "Yep, that my first bonus as a brand-new detective, pal! I had literally no cash on me up until I cashed that check today. The envelope is really special to me, but if it can help clear my name somehow, Ryuzaki, then you can use it for evidence." "One last thing before you're hauled off," Edgeworth said, "You told me earlier that you heard no sound other than the gunshot while in the hallway. Is that correct?" Gumshoe nodded. "Yeah, pal. No mistake about it."

"Wouldn't that also mean that no one could have passed you in the hallway?," L asked. Gumshoe paused for a minute, then said, "Yup! Not even so much as an ant passed by me!" Edgeworth sighed. "You do realize that lie is only things worse for you, right?" "But it's true," Gumshoe said, "I didn't see or here anything the whole time, pal!" _'There must be a reason why he's lying like this even though it's hurting his chances,'_ Edgeworth said, _'Which means we'll need to make a thorough inspection of the hallway.'_ As Edgeworth was thinking, he suddenly felt a hard impact to the back of his knee. He turned to see the little girl from before running from him, pausing only to give him a raspberry. L noted the look of recognition on Gumshoe's face. "Have could you not have noticed that coming?," Franziska asked. "I was lost in thought," Edgeworth said, "Anyway, I'm sure that's the same little girl I exchanged money with earlier."

L noted something the girl dropped. "Looks like she dropped a pack of Swiss rolls, and there's still one inside." Franziska smirked. "Maybe we should arrest the girl for littering? Who knows, she may prove to be a valuable lead." Edgeworth rubbed the spot where the girl had kicked him. "I believe some sort of punishment is required... Regardless, our next step is to talk to Detective Badd and the judge. We need to determine whether or not Gumshoe is telling us the truth in this matter. And to that end, we must investigate the hallway outside the defendant lobbies." "Then what are we waiting for," Franziska said, "If working together is the best way to resolve this contest, we should get a move on."

* * *

_September 10_

_District Court_

_Hallway_

Edgeworth and the others ran into the judge as he was walking back from talking with Detective Badd. "Ah," the judge said when he saw them, "You're that new prosecutor recommended by Mr. Von Karma, aren't you." Edgeworth gave a theatrical bow. "Miles Edgeworth, Your Honor." Franziska gave a quick curtsy. "And I am Franziska von Karma, Manfred von Karma's daughter. Set to become father's successor, Your Honor!" L simple raised his hand in greeting. "Rue Ryuzaki, private detective." The judge nodded. "I see. A pleasure to meet all three of you, Mr. Edgeworth, Ms. Von Karma, and Mr. Ryuzaki." "Your Honor," Edgeworth said, "I'd like to speak with you about your earlier testimony. There are a few questions that I would like answers too."

The judge nodded. "Alright, if I must. After all, it's my duty as defender of the law to clarify my testimony." "Thank you, Your Honor," Edgeworth said, "We appreciate the cooperation." Franziska noted that L was looking at the nearby vending machine. "What's got your eye?" "The Swiss rolls," L said, "I happen to have a particularly strong sweet tooth. But they're much more expensive here than at other places I've gotten them." _'A vending machine, huh?,'_ Edgeworth thought, _'Something tells me I better remember this.'_ "Hm," Franziska said, "$9 beef jerky? $7 half-pint milk? $6 packs of Swiss rolls? That's awfully overpriced for a vending machine. Now that I think about it, didn't that little girl drop a Swiss roll? Maybe it came from here."

Edgeworth nodded. "I was just wondering that myself." He turned back to the judge. "Now then, Your Honor, I'd like to begin by asking your whereabouts at the time of the murder." The judge thought for a moment. "If I recall correctly... Yes, I was in the middle of using the restroom. Something that tends to happen more frequently as I grow older, but I digress. As you can see, there's a little window at the end of this hallway, through which you can see the restroom I was using at the time of the murder. Of course, as you can see the restroom from the hallway, the reverse is also true." "I see," Edgeworth said, noting the window, "Continue, Your Honor." "Of course," the judge said, "While I was in the restroom, I saw that detective, Gumshoe I believe his name was, standing in front of the vending machines. I think he was buying something from it."

"Is that so?," L said, "You mentioned, though, that there was a point in which no one could be seen in the hallway." "Ah yes," the judge said, "I happened to have a second look into the hallway as I was preparing to leave. And that's when I noticed that the hallway was completely empty! Naturally, at the time, I simply brushed it off. But when I heard about the double murder, well that incident suddenly became very suspicious to me." Edgeworth nodded. "Thank you, Your Honor. That's all we need for now." "Very well then," the judge, "I'll be in the courtroom if there's anything else." And with that, he walked off. "Well," Franziska said, "It seems the judges in this country are quite friendly. So what next?" "We should have a look at the window the judge mentioned," L said, "I remember seeing something there earlier."

Edgeworth looked at the windowsill. The first thing he noticed was a pink piece of material. Carefully picking it up, he said, "This appears to be some sort of rubber. I wonder what it once was. Now that I think about, I think I've seen something similar before." "All I see is garbage," Franziska said, "It sickens me to know there's a litterer running around the courthouse!" He lashed out with her crop, striking Edgeworth. "Bloody...," Edgeworth muttered, "It's not like I left it there." "Besides," L said, "Sometimes a piece of trash can be valuable evidence, in the right context." He noted the cactus on the windowsill next to the piece of rubber. "Rather sharp-looking, these needles. Luckily it would take an absolute moron to run into one."

"Indeed," Franziska said, "I doubt even Scruffy is that brain-dead. Regardless, I don't see how this cactus could be related to our case." Edgeworth closed his eyes. "Maybe it isn't, at first glance. But it's very placement makes me think it's at least indirectly related." Edgeworth than smelled something. "Ryuzaki, didn't you say when we first met that you thought you smelled something sweet." "Yep," L said, "Right there near the bench." He pointed to a smudge on the bench. Franziska looked really livid now. "First littering and now dirtying!? Who would dare comment such atrocities in a sacred hall of law!?" "HOLD IT!," Edgeworth called out, "This smudge. It looks kind of like a handprint, doesn't it? If so, then we can get some fingerprints from it."

L got the lab tech's attention and had him analyze the handprint. After a bit, he turned back to Edgeworth and Franziska. "Seems the fingerprint lifted from the smudge belongs to Gumshoe, which means he was sitting at this bench at one point." "That bench seems pretty low from the window," Franziska said, "I bet if you sat at it, you'd go completely unseen from the room on the other side." "Interesting to note," Edgeworth said, "Considering that room is the restroom the judge was using. By the way, Ryuzaki, I think I see those ants you mentioned earlier." Franziska scoffed. "So much for Gumshoe's claim that not a single ant passed by him. But what are they eating away at?" "From the look and smell of it," L said, "I'd say remnants of a Swiss roll. In fact, I'm 97% certain of it."

Edgeworth nodded, then walked over to Badd, who was still in the hallway. "Detective Badd, I'd like to inquire about Gumshoe's movements during the recess. According to him, you were the one who gave him guard duty." "That's right," Badd said, "After Faraday was accused of being the Yatagarasu by the defendant, my gut told me something bad would happen." "A lot of good your gut did," Franziska said, "Faraday still wound up dead." Badd just glared at her. Before anything could happen, Edgeworth called out, "HOLD IT! Franziska, I think you should apologize to Detective Badd now." Franziska paused for a bit, then apologized. "Sorry about that, detective," Edgeworth said, "Please continue." Badd calmed down and cleared his throat. "As I was saying, I used the phone on the first floor to call the precinct. Told them to send someone over, and Gumshoe's the one that showed up."

Edgeworth nodded. "And after he arrived you set him on guard detail, correct?" "Yeah," Badd replied, "I waited for him on the first floor, and after he got here we came up to the defendant lobbies together. We ran into Ms. Yew as we entered the hallway. She said Faraday was real mad and had dragged Mr. Rell off to Lobby No. 2 to have a word with him. She also said he had told her not to let anyone else in. Well, what choice did I have but to have the big lug stand guard outside?" "I see," Edgeworth said, "Around what time did this take place?" Badd thought for a second. "I'd say it was around... 30 minutes before I heard the gunshot. After Gumshoe had his assignment, he never left the hallway once." "How do you know that for sure?," Franziska asked. "One of the guards out in this floor's main lobby told me," Badd said, "Swore to me he hadn't left his post until the gunshot was heard."

"Then perhaps he simply disappeared into Lobby No. 2," Franziska said, "Assuming he really is the killer, of course." "By the way," L said, "Ms. Yew said she was with you in Lobby No. 1 at the time the gunshot was heard, is that correct?" Badd nodded. "Yep. So for now, it seems Gumshoe is the only one without an alibi." "And did you also hear the gunshot?," Edgeworth asked. "Sure did," Badd replied, "I heard it from Lobby No. 1. After hearing it, me and Ms. Yew came running over to Lobby No. 2." "I see," Edgeworth said, "And how much time elapsed between the shot and your arrival on the scene?" "It was less than a minute," Badd said, "I grabbed the big lug, who was just walking around in the hall, and raced into the lobby, where we found the bodies."

"Which means that you were the one to discover the crime scene," Franziska said. "That's right... Little miss," Badd said. Franziska grew angry. "I am about to be a prosecutor myself, so you should treat me with respect!" She tried to whip Badd, but he casually dodged it by tilting his head. "Keep waving that crop around," he said as he looked in his mirror again, "And I'll have you arrested for obstruction." Franziska became flustered. "You... Wouldn't dare... Would you...?" Badd smirked. "Just joking." Franziska laughed nervously. _'Impressive,'_ Edgeworth thought, _'Badd actually got Franziska to behave herself.'_ "One last thing, Detective Badd," L said, "At what time did you hear the gunshot?" "If I recall correctly," Badd said, "It was right around the end of recess, when the trial was about to restart."

"Are you sure about that?," Edgeworth said. Badd nodded. "I'm pretty sure. Faraday was supposed to make time to transfer the evidence he was holding. But I somehow had a feeling he wouldn't show up for the hand-off, so I thought I should go get him or he'd be late. And just as I was thinking that... Bang! I hear the sound of a gunshot." _'A lot of interesting things to consider,'_ Edgeworth thought, _'I'd better connect my thoughts on this case.'_ He tapped his temple in thought, then realized something. "That pink, rubbery substance on the windowsill, I'm sure I saw it in a different form earlier. In fact, I'm quite certain that it is the remnants of a popped balloon." "Considering the cactus on the windowsill next to it," Franziska said, "That's a distinct possibility."

L nodded in agreement. "There's an 81% chance this balloon may have been popped against the cactus at some point, which means its owner was sitting on the bench next to Gumshoe. That makes this piece of rubber important evidence." "And another thing I realized," Edgeworth said, "Those bits of chocolate and cake. Ryuzaki, you said there was a high probability that they came from a Swiss roll, correct?" "That's right," L said, "And I see where you're going with this. After all, the vending machine in this very hallway is selling packs of two Swiss rolls for $6." "Indeed," Edgeworth said, "Now we have a clearer picture of what happened here."

He pointed to the bench. "From the evidence we have, I'd say it's clear that at some point Gumshoe sat on this bench while eating a Swiss roll. And while eating, he must have dropped it and sullied the bench, leaving his handprint behind." "Yes, well," L said, "I'm sure you're already aware of the glaring contradiction that is created if we assume that Gumshoe did indeed buy that Swiss roll." "Quite," Edgeworth said. He walked over to the vending machine and looked over it. "EUREKA! I have it! Gumshoe said that until this morning he didn't have a single penny on him. And since his bonus was only $5, he should not have been able to buy a pack of Swiss rolls. Yet, as we can see, there are remnants of a Swiss roll under the bench." Franziska nodded, understanding. "So Scruffy had to have bought a pack somehow." "Well, in any event," Edgeworth said, "I think I understand the situation here a little better. We should go see His Honor to correct his testimony."

* * *

_September 10, 5:15 PM_

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 3_

L, Edgeworth, and Franziska found the judge in the courtroom, just as he said he'd be. "You Honor," Edgeworth said, "I'd like to test your witness testimony in light of new evidence recently discovered." "Hm," the judge said, "As a defender of the law, I could never give false testimony. However, by the same token, I am obligated to have each testimony placed under scrutiny, even if it is my own. Very well then, Mr. Edgeworth, if you feel it is necessary, I shall give you my full testimony in detail." "I hope you're up to this," L said, "Most judges merely listen to testimonies. It's not often someone in your position is forced to give one." "I understand Mr. Ryuzaki," the judge said, "I shall endeavor to remain as calm as possible."

He cleared his throat and began his testimony. "During the recess... I, um... I went to the restroom. There is a window on the hallway side. In other words, I could see into the hallway. As I entered, I saw that detective buying something from the vending machines. But when I was about to exit the restroom, he had completely disappeared!" "OBJECTION!," Edgeworth called out, "Your Honor, I wonder if you might take a look at this?" He held up a picture of the handprint on the bench in the hallway. "My word," the judge said, "I must be getting old indeed if I missed such an obvious smudge as that. But who could have left it?" "Why, Gumshoe of course," Edgeworth said, "The very man currently under arrest as a result of your testimony. The smudge contains his fingerprints."

"Is that right?," the judge said, "I'll have to have him reprimanded later for dirtying the courthouse. But why bring up that smudge in the first place?" "It's rather simple," Edgeworth said, "During the course of our investigation, it came to light that the detective had bought a pack of Swiss rolls from the vending machine in the hall, and then sat down on the bench to eat one. This handprint smudge, along with bits of cake and chocolate from the Swiss roll found beneath the bench, prove this much." "Well," the judge said, "That explains how the smudge got there, but how is this related to how I couldn't see Gumshoe as I was leaving the restroom?"

Edgeworth smiled. "Quite simple. The window is built rather high into the wall, at about a grown man's chest height. As Franziska noted during our investigation, the area beneath that window is a blind spot when viewed from the men's restroom." "Aha," the judge said, "I see where you're going with this. In other words, if someone were to sit on that bench, even a man of Gumshoe's size would effectively disappear from view, correct?" Edgeworth nodded. "I'm glad to see you understand, Your Honor. Rather than incriminate Gumshoe, your testimony has just proven he was in the hallway the entire time." "Hold on a moment," the judge said, "I suddenly remembered something else. I can't believe I forgot to mention this earlier. I must truly be going senile."

"I take it you wish to make another testimony, then?," Edgeworth said, "Go right ahead. It will only mean more information for us." "Of course," the judge said, "Do you remember after the recess, how I mentioned I thought I heard a popper going off? Well, now I think it may have been something else." Edgeworth put a hand to his chin. "Now that you mention it, I do remember you saying that. Very well, You Honor, if you will begin your testimony." The judge nodded. "I suppose it's possible you can't see a seated person from the restroom window. However, that doesn't mean that the Detective was sitting there when I looked!" "HOLD IT!," Edgeworth said, "We've already established you went to the restroom during recess, but at what point during that time did you look into that hallway?"

The judge thought for a moment. "Let me see here... After I called the recess, I handled the change of prosecutor paperwork. Let's see... I looked into that hallway about 20 minutes before we were to reconvene." "OBJECTION!," Edgeworth called out, "Forgive me, Your Honor, but there are simply too many holes in your testimony for my taste." The judge calmly tapped his gavel against his hand. "And what exactly do you mean by that?" "You say you heard the gunshot at 20 minutes before recess," Edgeworth said, "But that is impossible." "I may be getting old Mr. Edgeworth," the judge said, "But my hearing is not _that _far gone." Edgeworth smirked. "It is not your hearing that is in question, Your Honor, but the time of the gunshot. And I have here an interesting piece of testimony from Detective Badd."

"According to Badd's testimony," L explained, "He heard the gunshot 'right before the trial was about to start again'." "Good heavens," the judge said in surprise, "And I just said I heard it 20 minutes before the recess ended! That's quite the contradiction. But... I'm sure I heard a loud 'BANG!' at the time I mentioned. I could swear it was the sound of a gunshot." "Only the sound, Your Honor?," L said, "I think maybe you haven't enough guns to make that judgement. And I think I know what you really heard." He held up the piece of the popped balloon. "TAKE THAT! This was found on the windowsill in the hallway. It may not look like it now, but it used to be a balloon. And this little piece of evidence overrules your whole testimony!"

The judge looked rather surprised. "How do you mean?" "There is no guarantee that the detective was sitting on the bench at the time you looked," Edgeworth said, "Thus you believe he must have been at the crime scene in Lobby No. 2. However, are you sure the gunshot you heard was from a real gun?" The judge stroked his beard. "Now that you mention it, I don't think so. And given Mr. Ryuzaki's evidence, yes... Yes, I think what I heard must in fact have been the sound of a balloon popping! Though there's one thing still on my mind..." "How the balloon got into this courthouse in the first place, correct Your Honor?," Edgeworth said, "A fair question, and I believe I know the answer. And while your recollection of events may have been somewhat misinterpreted, I don't believe you lied once in your whole testimony."

"Indeed," the judge said, "Giving testimony can be rather difficult. I have seen it on the faces of many a witness or defendant, but now I know how it truly feels." L nodded. "When a witness is actually an honest person, the lies in their testimony can come from either nervousness or bad recollection. But that is why we have prosecutors and lawyers, to shift through the lies and get to the truth of the matter. Though I fear these men and women who hold such positions today have forgotten that key fact. But I digress, we still have one more thing to deal with. Gumshoe's blatant lie. And a strange lie it is, for it is actually one that hurts his case. Your Honor, with your permission, we should question Gumshoe personally." The judge nodded. "Of course. I shall have him brought here presently."

* * *

_September 10_

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 3_

Gumshoe was led into the courtroom by a bailiff, who then went to stand watch outside. "What's going here on here, pal?," Gumshoe asked, "Is it time for my trial already? I already told you guys a gazillion times, pal! I didn't do it!" L waved his finger in front of Gumshoe. "We shall see about that. We have a few questions in regards to your earlier testimony, and I intend to put it to the test, detective versus detective. Rest assured you are not on trial, this is simply a part of our investigation. Having said that, be aware that I intend to raise an objection should I find any lies within your testimony." Gumshoe slumped. "I gotcha pal..." He straightened up and began. "I came down here to this courthouse on Detective Badd's orders. As soon as I got here, he ordered me to stand guard in front of Lobby No. 2. From that time on, until I heard the gunshot, I was in that hallway the whole time!"

"HOLD IT!," L called out, "That's what you keep claiming. However, did you happen to do something while you were in that hallway?" "Well, yeah," Gumshoe replied, "I was guarding the door to Lobby No. 2, pal! What else would I be doing!? And until I heard the gunshot, I didn't take a single step away from the Lobby No. 2 door." "NOT SO FAST!," L called out, wagging his finger, "Detective Gumshoe, perhaps you might recognize this." He held up the Swiss roll the girl had dropped. "We found it on the floor of the main lobby." "Oh yeah," Gumshoe said, "It's one those Courthouse Special Swiss Rolls, pal." L nodded and held up the picture of the handprint. "Then you might also recognize this. This handprint smudge contains your fingerprints."

"Oh yeah," Gumshoe said, looking dejected, "Sorry I missed that. I'll clean it up later." "You'd better!," Franziska interjected, "Unless you want a thorough lashing!" She struck Gumshoe with her crop to prove that point. "YEOWCH!," he cried out, "That really stings!" L cleared his throat. "I'll thank you, Franziska, to refrain from doing that during the course of interrogation. Anyway, Gumshoe, if you did not move a single step from the lobby door, then how did you buy this pack of Swiss rolls? And while we're at, how did you manage to leave that handprint?" "Alright, alright," Gumshoe said, "I got hungry during the guard detail, so I bought a pack of Swiss rolls from the vending machine in the hallway, pal. I thought I might get chewed out if anyone knew."

"Well," the judge said, "I did happen to see you as you were buying the Swiss rolls while I was in the men's restroom. However, eating on the job is hardly an offense." "Indeed," L said, "But I still get the feeling, Gumshoe, that you haven't truly told us the whole story." "You gotta be kidding me," Gumshoe said, "After all that, you still think I'm lying about something, pal! I'm telling you, that's all there is to it!" L wagged his finger. "Not quite. Detective Gumshoe, are you aware of the price of Swiss rolls at that vending machine?" "Sure," Gumshoe said, "It's $6 for a pack of two Swiss rolls, pal. What about it?" L smirked. "Well, according to you, you didn't have any cash on you until you cashed your $5 annual bonus check. That would make you a dollar short."

"Look, pal!," Gumshoe said, "It's like I've been saying, there was no one else in that hallway, so no one could have helped me buy it!" L sighed. "You do realize I can prove that someone else was in that hallway, right?" Gumshoe laughed. "No way, pal. What are the chances of that?" "About 15%," L said, "But I've been known to beat the odds before." He held up the Swiss roll pack again. "TAKE THAT! You'll note, Gumshoe, that this pack of Swiss rolls only has one Swiss roll in it. So tell me, where's the other one?" Gumshoe gulped. "I believe you ate one of Swiss rolls," L said, "Then gave the other one to someone else, correct?" "No... No way, pal," Gumshoe said, "I ate both of them myself."

At that moment, the same little girl from before came up from behind L. However, L was already aware of the girl's presence and dodge out of the way, grabbing the girl by the collar so she couldn't escape. "Well, well," Edgeworth said, "Good eye Ryuzaki. I could learn a thing or two about awareness from you. It would seem we've caught our young lady at last." "Hey!," Gumshoe yelled, "Don't you dare do anything bad to her!" "Come now," L said, "Earlier she gave Edgeworth a kick to the back of his leg. Young lady, don't you know it's rude to sneak up on others and kick them when they're not looking?" The little girl was acting much like a feral cat, as if to ward off L. "My name is Kay Faraday! And don't you forget it! And you were the ones who put Gummy under arrest!"

Edgeworth raised an eyebrow. "Gummy?" "Perhaps she's referring to Detective Gumshoe," the judge suggested. L simply had a blank stare on his face. "Kay... Faraday...? Could you be... Byrne Faraday's daughter...?" Kay continued with her feral cat routine. "Gummy didn't do anything wrong, got it!?" _'So it would seem Kay and Gumshoe know each other,'_ Edgeworth said, _'In which case I should probably talk with her. But first I should give her something to calm her down.'_ He got out the Swiss roll and offered it to Kay. "Kay, if I give you this, will you calm down and speak with us?" "Oh!," Kay said, her eyes lighting up, "A Swiss roll! My favorite!" Edgeworth smiled. "Though I suspect this actually belongs to you, doesn't it? You dropped it in the lobby earlier."

"Yeah," Kay said, suddenly looking sad, "I was saving it for Daddy..." "Oh dear," the judge said, "I'm afraid I overheard Ryuzaki's mutterings just now..." Edgeworth nodded solemnly. "You father..." Gumshoe suddenly yelled out, "Don't say another word, pal! She doesn't know yet!" Kay shook her head. "It's alright Gummy. But... I... Already know about Daddy. I overheard the guards saying that he's... He's..." She suddenly began to tear up. "Not here anymore..." "Kay," Gumshoe said sadly, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry I couldn't protect you Dad..." Kay started shaking as she tried to hold back the tears. "I-I'm not gonna cry! I won't... I'm not... Gonna..." But she couldn't stop from bawling her eyes out.

Edgeworth suddenly looked as if he knew how Kay was feeling. "It's alright Kay... Go ahead and let it all out... Your father just passed away after all." L looked over to Edgeworth. "You look as if you've walked a mile in her shoes." Edgeworth nodded. "I have, in a sense. I too was involved in a case at this courthouse when I was a child... One where my father, a well-known defense attorney, passed away." L's eyes widened. "The DL-6 Incident... I thought your name was familiar." "That's right," Edgeworth said, "I had dreamed of becoming a defense attorney, but my dreams were crushed that day. Ever since that incident, I made a vow to lock away every criminal I can."

"Miles Edgeworth!," Franziska interrupted, "Are you just going to stand there chatting whilst a lady cries?" "Ah, my apologies," Edgeworth said. He knelt down to Kay's height and brought out a handkerchief from his pocket. "Here now, dry your eyes." Kay quivered for a second, then promptly blew her nose into Edgeworth's cravat. "Good heavens!," Edgeworth yelled, "Don't blow your nose on that!" Kay seemed to have calmed down a little. "Sorry about that. I feel better now. I made a promise to Daddy to never cry in front of strangers." Gumshoe nodded. "And you're a good kid for keeping your promises, Kay." "Yep," Kay said, "Even if I can't see Daddy anymore, I'll still keep all the promises we made together."

Franziska smiled at Kay. "You're a very good girl to keep the promises you made your Papa. I'll even testify you didn't cry myself." "Thank you," Kay said, "You're a very nice lady!" "Indeed," L said, "And here I was starting to think you lacked a heart." "Well don't forget," Franziska said, "Kay and I have something in common. Both of our fathers are well-respected prosecutors." "That's right," Kay said, "My Daddy was a Hero of Justice! That's why he was made part of the greatest gathering of heroes ever, the III!" "Well now," L said, "Seems you view those who capture bad people, such as detectives and prosecutors, as Heroes of Justice. Since me and Gumshoe are detectives, that must make us heroes in your eyes as well, correct?"

"Yep," Kay said with a nod, "And you know what else? My Daddy would always buy me my favorite treat, Swiss rolls! So I wanna be a Hero of Justice too, which is why I work so hard on keeping all my promises. Here, take a look!" She held out a notebook. Scribbled on the front cover were the words "promises, Kay". "A promise notebook?," Edgeworth said with interest, "May I look inside?" Kay nodded and handed Edgeworth the notebook. "Now this is the sort of notebook I like to see," L said, "Rather than one that can kill someone just writing their name." Edgeworth couldn't help but smile at the writing. "It easy to see from this that your father was a good man, Kay. I hope you'll continue to work hard and become a hero like your father." Kay nodded. "You bet I will! I'll try my hardest!"

"That reminds me," L said, "You seem to be good friends with Detective Gumshoe, is that right?" "Yep," Kay said, "We're friends all right! I ran into him in the hall when I was on my way to see Daddy. He was staring at the vending machines, so I said hi." "I see," Edgeworth said, "And when was this?" Kay seemed to become apprehensive. "Before everything... Got crazy..." Edgeworth nodded sympathetically. "And just long were you and Gumshoe together?" "Um...," Kay said, "Just a little while." "That's right, pal!," Gumshoe blurted out, "We only talked for a little while and that's it!" "Uh, Gumshoe," L said, "You do realize you've just confirmed Kay was in the hallway, right?" Gumshoe facepalmed. "Doh! You got me."

Edgeworth couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Anyway, Kay, you were the one who bought this Swiss roll, correct?" "Well," Kay said, "I didn't have a lot of money on me. Somehow I was able to make a dollar with all the coins I had, but that still wasn't enough." "Yes I remember," Edgeworth said, "You came to me asking to exchange for a dollar during the recess." "Yeah," Kay said, "Thanks a bunch!" "But of course," L said, "That still wasn't enough to buy the Swiss rolls, correct?" Kay nodded. "And I really wanted one too. Oh yeah, sorry about your ruffly thing, Mr. Edgeworth." "How did...?," Edgeworth started, but then realized Kay must have overheard their names before.

He sighed and pulled off his cravat. "Not to worry, Kay, I happen to have a spare, so you can have this one." "Um," Kay said, "Daddy said I should never take anything from a stranger." "That's right," L said, "One of the promises you made with your father." Kay nodded. "Yeah, on this page here, see?" Edgeworth looked and noted the first promise, to never take things from a stranger. He smiled. "In that case, how about I simply let you borrow it. Then you can wash it at home, and give it back to me the next time we meet." "Yeah, that works," Kay said cheerily, "Daddy never said I couldn't borrow things strangers!" Kay took the cravat, and Edgeworth pulled a new one from within his jacket and tied it on properly.

"So Gumshoe," L said, "Given our new information, I think it's perfectly clear that you were with Kay in the hallway earlier. And I also think I know why you were lying to us earlier." "Really?," Franziska said, "Would you care to enlighten the rest of us?" L nodded and held up the promise notebook. "TAKE THAT! According to this notebook, the very first promise Kay and her father made is that she should never take things from a stranger. When Gumshoe heard this, he tried to cover for Kay, even when it possibly meant his job or even his very life." Franziska considered for a bit, then blurted out, "What a foolishly foolish fool's fool of a foolish reason for a fool!" "You tend to throw the word 'fool' around a lot," L noted, "A bad habit."

"Gummy...," Kay said sadly, "Were lying because of me?" Gumshoe shook his head. "Because we're friends, Kay! That's why!" Kay cheered up when she heard that. "Well now," Edgeworth said, "Since all that is out in the open, perhaps you would care to tell us the whole truth now?" Gumshoe sighed. "Well, I guess there's no point lying now, huh pal? As I was saying earlier, I was on guard duty outside Lobby No. 2, but I was starting to get really hungry, and that snack machine was looking really tempting." "But of course you had very little cash on you," Franziska said, "Just $5 from that bonus check. The least expensive item in that vending machine is the $6 Swiss rolls."

"Yeah," Gumshoe said, "But out of nowhere, Kay showed up like an angel from heaven." "I was thinking about sharing a snack with Daddy," Kay explained, "So I wanted to buy a Swiss roll. But I only had a dollar in coins. So me and Gummy pooled our money and bought a pack of Swiss rolls together." "It didn't look like that vending machine excepts coins," L said, "Which is why you rushed into the lobby to ask the first person you saw to exchange them for a dollar bill, which would still allow you to keep your first promise. Lucky thing the first person you ran into was Edgeworth, or we wouldn't have come this far." Gumshoe nodded. "Anyway, Kay was worried about breaking one of her promises. And I know from experience how scary Mr. Faraday could be when he got mad. So I offered to keep quiet about it. And besides, since she and I bought it together, she technically didn't get it from me."

"After that," Kay said, "He gave me a roll to save and give to Daddy." "Well now," Franziska said, "Seems Scruffy's heart is as big as the rest of him." "Indeed," Edgeworth replied, "I assume after that you both sat down on the bench to eat the other together?" "Yeah," Gumshoe said, "We split it in half and started eating." He began to tear up. "The sweet taste of that cake's chocolate... I'll never forget it as long as I live!" Edgeworth then brought out the remnants of the popped balloon. "That reminds me. Kay, I believe this is yours as well, correct?" Kay recognized it instantly. "Oh yeah, that's from the balloon I popped! I guess I forgot about it." "Normally I consider it bad manners not to throw away one's trash," Franziska said, "But considering this piece fell on a windowsill where you couldn't see it, I'll overlook it this time."

"Well, to tell the truth," Kay said, "I wanted to surprise Gummy, so I popped it on purpose. Gummy was so surprised he dropped his half of the Swiss roll. Sorry about that. Anyway, I felt so bad afterwards I decided to give him the other roll. And then I saw you three picking on Gummy... Sorry about kicking you like that." L smiled. "Well, it would have been a better idea to have explained the whole situation to us, for Gumshoe's sake at least." "Well, in any event I am unharmed after that incident," Edgeworth said, "Kay, for the time being I'd like to hold on to this other Swiss roll until Gumshoe is cleared. It that alright?" "Sure," Kay said with a nod, "Be sure to give it to him afterward, okay?" Edgeworth nodded. "I will."

"So," the judge said, "I believe this accounts for all of Gumshoe's movements in the hallway for the duration of his duty, correct? It would appear he could not have committed the double murder after all." "OBJECTION!," came Calisto's voice. She walked into the room with a bailiff behind her. "Actually, you've proven quite the opposite. After hearing all this, it's quite clear Gumshoe's the only person who could have committed this crime." "Now, now," L said, "It's rude to eavesdrop on others, Ms. Yew. Quite a bad habit you seem to have as of late. I do recall you peeking into Lobby No. 2 during our investigation there." Calisto started laughing at this. "Oh, man! What's with the serious face there, Ryuzaki!" She calmed down. "Seriously though, good eye for spotting me. Sure, I was eavesdropping on your investigation earlier."

L smirked. "Too bad you didn't continue following us, because there's something interesting that's been on my mind for a while now. You say that because of what we've found out here, only Gumshoe could have committed the crime. Well I say, due to the information we have in total, this crime is impossible from the very beginning." The entire courtroom turned to look at L. "I grant you both men are clearly dead, but in conjunction with Badd's testimony of his movements, there's a glaring contradiction of the facts." He turned to Calisto. "Badd, you see testified that after hearing the gunshot, the two of you exited Lobby No. 1 and raced over to Lobby No. 2 in less than a second. You've obviously seen the crime scene as it was before our investigation. Tell me, Ms. Yew, how long do you think it would take to kill those two men and arrange the scene as it we found it?"

Calisto thought about it. "I hate to say it, but it would take at least five minutes, given how heavy Faraday is, let alone Rell." L nodded. "Indeed. No one, least of all Gumshoe, could have fired that gun and set the scene as we found in the half-second it took for you and Badd to cross the hallway and enter Lobby No. 2. You would have run into the killer in the process of setting the scene. The only explanation I can give is that the killings did not happen just before the recess, but earlier. In fact, they could have occurred at any time after Faraday dragged Mr. Rell off to Lobby No. 2, which means our investigation is far from over. If it comes to light that these killings occurred before Gumshoe was brought in for guard detail, even you must admit he's in the clear."

Calisto sighed. "Fine, but until then he should remain in custody. And seriously, Edgeworth, don't you think it's reckless to talk with the suspect out in the open without a guard? You should always keep a good eye on a criminal, or you may wind up regretting it." "That would have been good advice for me three years ago...," L muttered. The bailiff led Gumshoe out of the courtroom. Before she left, Calisto said, "I'll look forward to the results of your investigation." Franziska sighed. "Back to square one." "No," Edgeworth said, "This is our last chance. Ryuzaki may have given our case new hope, but if we fail to solve this Gumshoe will be formally charged under all the circumstantial evidence. The key to solving all this is finding out just when the murders occurred. We have one last place to search... Lobby No. 1."

To be continued...

**Exciting, isn't it? I'm rather enjoying myself. Yeah, L's bit of deductive reasoning is something I'm surprised was never brought up in the actual game, so I thought I'd throw it out there just to make Calisto Yew squirm. Read and review.**


	3. Chapter 3: Turnabout Reminiscence Part 3

**We're coming to a head. And things are getting pretty interesting. Hopefully by the end of this chapter you'll have a clearer picture of what happened. Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, Persona, or Ace Attorney.**

Chapter 3: Turnabout Reminiscence Part 3

_September 10, 5:45 PM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 1_

As L and the two would-be prosecutors entered the defendant lobby, Edgeworth suddenly crinkled his now. "What on earth is that overpowering sweet scent!?" Franziska sniffed the air. "It smells just like flowers." L spotted Detective Badd in a corner of the room. Then to his surprise, he saw Kay run up to him. "Uncle Badd," she said, "Is this what you're looking for?" In her hand was what looked like a perfume bottle. Badd shook head. "Not quite." "That's too bad," Kay said, "It looks so pretty!" Badd couldn't help but chuckle. "You're still a bit young to be wearing perfume, Kay. But since you found it, you might as well keep it." Kay's eyes lit up. "Thank, Uncle Badd! I'll treasure it."

"That reminds me," Badd said as he handed Kay a pack of Swiss rolls, "Here's something else for you." "Hooray!," Kay said, "Thanks Uncle Badd!" She started munching on one of the Swiss rolls. "I was eating one of these earlier with Gummy." "Gummy...?, Badd said, scratching his head, "Oh you mean Gumshoe." Kay nodded sadly. "He was trying to be nice me so I wouldn't get in trouble... But then he got in trouble because he was lying to protect me..." She hiccuped from eating too fast. "I know he didn't kill Daddy...!" Badd sighed. "It's okay kid... We'll work through this. Your dad would be upset if he saw you crying."

L, Franziska, and Edgeworth approached the duo. Kay smiled when she saw them. "Hey, it's you three!" "As nice as it to see you again Kay," Edgeworth said, "Wouldn't it be best if you went home for the time being?" Kay giggled. "Well actually, I'm Uncle Badd's assistant right now! That makes me related to the investigation!" "Plus there's the fact that her dad is the victim," L said, "And that she was with Gumshoe at one point during the time frame when the murder occurred. We can't forget that." "Detective Badd," Franziska said, "Don't you think it's a bad idea to let little kids run around a crime scene like this?" "Why not?," Badd asked, "I did so earlier. Or did you two forget your little investigation?"

L snickered. "Thing is," Badd said, "People are free to investigate things outside the actual crime scene. In fact, Ms. Yew was in here earlier. Seems she also had a few things she wanted to look into." Kay began walking out the door, saying, "Uncle Badd, I'm gonna look elsewhere, okay?" Badd nodded. "Alright Kay. I'll count on you." "And Kay," L called after her, "Don't worry. I assure you we'll find the real bad guy in this case." Kay nodded. "Thanks a bunch, Ryuzaki! Later!" "I hope you weren't just getting Kay's hopes up," Franziska said. L shook his head. "While I admit the odds of us being able to clear Gumshoe is only 7%, as I said earlier I've beaten the odds before."

"Detective Badd," Edgeworth said, "May I ask what it is that Kay is searching for?" "Just a missing piece of evidence," Badd said, "Nothing that concerns you two right now. Anything else you wanna ask?" "Actually, there is one thing I wanted to ask first and foremost," Edgeworth said, "What is that overpowering smell in the room?" "Yew's perfume," Badd said, crinkling his nose at the thought of it, "She spilled some of it earlier. Can't blame you for getting so worked up over it, I was having a bad time myself. Smell was so strong that as soon as she spilled it, I rushed over to the window and opened it."

"From the smell of it," Franziska said, "It must be some cheap, drug-store brand." Badd smirked. "She claimed it was some fancy brand from overseas." "Those are even worse," L said, "And I should know. I've done some traveling." "She actually left some of it behind," Badd said, holding out the empty bottle. L took it and examined it. It was a pink, rounded bottle with a flower-shaped cap on top. "How interesting," L said, "It's a Cohdopian brand. Considering her animosity towards Mr. Coachen, I'd have thought she wouldn't set foot in that country. Or maybe she simply avoids the embassy itself." "So," Badd said, "Anything else you need?"

"Actually yes," Edgeworth said, "You were in this room for the entire recess, correct?" "Not the entire recess," Badd said, "Like I said earlier, I made a call to the precint to get Gumshoe down here for guard detail. But other than that, yeah. I was mostly waiting for the recess to end." "You also said earlier that you in here with Yew," L said, "Were you only together from the point Gumshoe arrived and you came up to the defendant lobbies?" "I'd say so," Badd said while checking his mirror again. "That woman seems to have a great dislike for you," Franziska said. Badd actually flinched. "Guess that crop of yours ain't the only way you can hurt a guy..."

"I begin to wonder if the reason for her disdain isn't simply because you failed to guard her sister," Edgeworth said, "But because you were also the lead detective on the case." Badd flinched again. "So you knew that, huh?" Edgeworth nodded. "I also know that today's trial involving the murdered embassy staff member is being referred to as the second KG-8 Incident." "Well now," Badd said, looking impressed, "If already know that much, I guess it'd be alright to tell you the rest. So then, the KG-8 Incident... Not exactly a happy story. Other than the people directly involved, the three of you will be the only ones to hear about this." He took the white stick out of his mouth, revealing it to be a lollipop. "This is the honest truth behind the KG-8 Incident!"

Edgeworth could practically feel the seriousness of Badd's tone. "As you already know, Faraday, Yew, and myself were involved. I met with Naoto Tatsumi, who gave me the position of lead detective working under her. Her husband, Kanji Tatsumi, had been working the case of the Amano Group scandal. Faraday and I were working under him during that case, probably why Naoto selected me to investigate the murder." "I remember that," Edgeworth said, "Apparently one of the Amano Group's secretaries was involving with a smuggling ring." Badd scoffed. "That was just a front. Kanji could tell, right from the get-go, that the secretary was being set up as a fall guy!"

"I bet Cece knew the _real_ brains behind the smuggling operation in the Amano group," L said. "Probably," Badd agreed, "But the case became tainted when Cece was murdered before she could even testify." Edgeworth closed his eyes. "What became of the secretary?" "His name was Colin Devorae," Badd said, "And it didn't take long for any of us working that case to tell he didn't know a thing about the smuggling ring. Still, he confessed to it anyway. Kanji always thought he was being intimidated by the boss of the Amano Group, and I'm inclined to believe him." _'There's no way,'_ Edgeworth thought, _'I know Ernest Amano myself. He couldn't possibly be involved in this.'_

"It must have been very difficult to get an acquittal after Devorae's confession," Franziska said, "No wonder L suggested that new law stating that confessions were no longer admissible in court without solid evidence to back it." L couldn't help but smile. _'Seems Light's doing okay standing in for me.' _He turned to the others. "Manny Coachen seemed to be the opposite case. The perfect suspect, but he wound up acquitted anyway." Franziska nodded. "How could Faraday have let him go like that?" "Well don't forget," Edgeworth said, "Mr. Faraday had an important piece of evidence stolen from him." "Yeah," Badd said, "But that was more my fault than Faraday's. I wasn't vigilant enough. I suppose things would have different if Naoto had been there, but..."

"But what?," Franziska said, interested. Badd sighed. "Someone had called III headquarters claiming to have an important lead on the Kira case. With that investigation getting top priority Naoto had no choice but to return to HQ. By the time they realized it was a set-up by the smuggling ring... Well, let's just say there's a reason my coat is so full of holes." Edgeworth gasped when he realized what Badd meant. "So... You were fired upon?" Badd nodded. "Of course, only about half of these are from that incident, but I still wear it to remind myself of that day. I learned some hard lessons from that one case. KG-8... Changed a lot of lives forever, and none of them for the better."

He gave a heavy sigh. "Not only could we not protect Cece, but the only suspect in her murder was formally acquitted. We had hit a brick wall... As far as the law is concerned. Ryuzaki's a lucky guy. As a private detective, he may not be permitted to break the law, but there are certain laws he can bypass. And it's the same with the Tatsumis. That's why the smuggling ring had to find ways of removing them without killing them... So they could continue their operations. With their names and faces hidden, they've got nothing to fear from Kira. But III... That's another story. But I digress. Anyway, after the trial, that's when me and Faraday met Calisto Yew for the first time."

"And that was on the day the verdict for KG-8 was handed down, correct?," Edgeworth asked. Badd nodded. "Me and Faraday apologized from the bottom of our hearts, but it wasn't enough. She said just apologizing wouldn't bring back her sister, then she slapped me across the face. She then said she never wanted to see us again. Unfortunately, we wound up seeing a lot of each other since then. Me and Faraday kept hunting the smuggling ring, but we decided to leave III out of it this time. Better they focus on something more important for the time-being. In hindsight, though, it may have better to have asked for their help. Cause no matter how many cases Faraday and I cracked, we still couldn't find the true mastermind behind the smuggling ring."

L nodded. "And while pursuing the ring, you ran into Ms. Yew again, correct?" "You got it," Badd said, "It was during another trial related to the smuggling ring. Needless to say, Faraday was the prosecutor of that trial, while I took to the witness stand. Imagine our surprise when Calisto Yew turned up as the defense attorney." "If her client was related to the smuggling ring," Franziska said, "Why was she bothering to defend them?" "It didn't look like she wanted to," Badd said, "But she was pursuing the ring herself using her job as a lawyer to gather information. From what I understand, that's the same reason she defended Rell." L pressed his thumb to his lips. "That's right, she told us as much. The only way she would be able to get any sort of information from Rell was to become his lawyer."

"That sounds about right," Badd said, "Just like us, she felt she had the hit limit of what the law could do." Edgeworth frowned. "The law as we know it is little more than a tool. The only limit to it is the skill of the craftsman. If the current laws are not suitable for justice, the only option is to change the laws." "A nice thought," Badd said, "And I'll admit your argument does have merit. But you're still too young to truly understand. Trust me, one day you'll know what I mean. But enough getting sidetracked. The point is, me and Faraday met Yew again while in pursuit of the smuggling ring." "That reminds me," Edgeworth said, "Just what is your relationship to Faraday? It must be more than professional if you're on friendly terms with his daughter, Kay."

"Well," Badd said, "I met him years ago when he was just a rookie prosecutor, and we've been good friends ever since. As for Kay, I've known her since the day she was born. It's one of the reasons why she likes to call me 'Uncle Badd'. You see, Faraday and I have cracked quite a few cases together." "So I see," Edgeworth said with his arms crossed, "But you've still made no progress in the Yatagarasu case." Badd looked into his mirror again. "I'll admit you're right, but having said that, there's something you should know here and now. No one knew more about the Yatagarasu than me and Faraday. That's why I was called upon to testify in today's trial. I was supposed to prove that Rell was not the real Yatagarasu. But, he never gave me the chance." L nodded. "Pretty much the entire courtroom was shocked to hear Rell openly accuse Faraday like that."

"Sure was," Badd said, "So then I was supposed to prove or disprove Rell's accusation. But needless to say, I won't be doing that either." "Would you care to share with us what you know of the Yatagarasu?," Edgeworth asked. Badd scoffed. "I don't see how that's connected to our murder case right now." Edgeworth wagged his finger. "It's more connected than you realize. The reason why the trial today is being called the second KG-8 Incident is because how similar it is to the actual KG-8 Incident. But in the case of the second, there is one difference... The presence of the Great Thief Yatagarasu. As we know, at first Mr. Rell claimed to _be_ the Yatagarasu. But in the middle of the trial he retracted that statement and claimed Mr. Faraday was the real Yatagarasu. Then both of them were killed during the recess. I'd say that makes a connection, yes?"

Badd considered it. "So you think there's a reason why someone would kill both men suspected of being the Yatagarasu." He chuckled. "I get it. In order to find that reason, you need to know as much about the Yatagarasu as possible. Very well then..." He took his lollipop out again. "I'll tell you everything there is to know... About the Great Thief Yatagarasu! First off, there are three reasons why the Yatagarasu is always one step ahead... First, the Yatagarasu always knows the exact location of the target object... Second, the Yatagarasu always knows exactly how to disarm the security system... And finally, the Yatagarasu doesn't leave a single shred of evidence behind, ever!" "That sounds like one elusive thief," Franziska said.

Badd nodded. "Furthermore, the Yatagarasu has never been caught on tape, never tries to draw anyone's attention, and would never do something as low-brow as commit murder. But that last bit's common knowledge. Anyway, that's how I knew right away that Rell couldn't be the real Yatagarasu. Of course, logic like that doesn't hold up in a court of law. Luckily, I had another method to prove Rell was lying. As I'm sure you know by now, something was different about the Yatagarasu's appearance this time. He had apparently stolen something from the Cohdopian Embassy related to the smuggling ring. But instead of sending it to the media like he usually does, he sent it straight to the police."

L scratched his temple. "So the Yatagarasu sent the evidence personally? That's a first. What was the evidence?" "Top secret," Badd said, "Other than Faraday and myself, only a select few individuals knew what it was." "The how do you know it was sent by the Yatagarasu?," Edgeworth asked. "Simple," Badd replied, "He delivered his calling card as well. Here, take a look for yourself." He held out a newspaper with an article about the break-in of the Cohdopian Embassy. Besides an artist's rendering of what the Yatagarasu might look like, there was a picture of a white card depicting a black orb with two wings and three claws.

"This white card would be sent along with the information stolen by the Yatagarasu," Badd explained, "So the mass media would know it was him doing the sending. Rell mentioned the card, of course, but that's something anyone who reads the papers would know about. So we questioned him about what was sent along with the card, and that's when his mind drew a blank." "Which is how you knew for certain Mr. Rell had to be a phony," Edgeworth said, "Thank you, Detective Badd. I believe I understand the Yatagarasu much better now." Just then, a bailiff walked into the lobby.

"Mr. Edgeworth, I'm here to inform you that the evidence from Faraday is finally ready for transferal. His Honor is waiting for you in the courtroom for the hand-off." Edgeworth nodded. "Understood. I'll be there presently." "We finally get to see the evidence from today's trial in full," L said, "It's about time. Perhaps this will shed some new light on a few confusing facts." Before the three of them left, Edgeworth turned to Badd. "Detective Badd, just what does the law mean to you?" Badd closed his eyes. "I'm still trying to find the answer to that myself. It's the only reason I'm still alive right now. It looks like you seem to have your answer for yourself, kid. Hope it serves you well in your career." Edgeworth nodded, then walked out with L and Franziska. _'I became a prosecutor to find out what the law means, and to play my part in putting criminals to justice. I hope you find your answers someday, Tyrell Badd.'_

* * *

_September 10_

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 3_

The three investigators met with the judge in the courtroom. The judge seemed a little dispirited. "Greetings, all three you. Sorry if I seem somewhat less than cheerful, but I've had a lot to think about recently. For the first time in my career, I've seen what it's like to stand on the witness stand. I feel as if I now have a greater appreciation for how hard giving testimony can be. I'm sure there are many people who see these trials, watch as the witnesses practically shrink under the continued cross-examination by both the prosecution and defense, and think to themselves, 'If I had the chance, I'd do a better job than this'. One cannot truly know how difficult it really is until one experiences it for themselves. But I digress, you're here for the evidence from Faraday, correct?"

Edgeworth nodded. "I see it over there on the Prosecutor's Bench. It's about time we had a good look at all it for ourselves." "I hope it will prove useful to the investigation," the judge said, "Needless to say, today's trial and this new case are clearly linked, so looking through the old evidence could prove useful. Beyond that, we need to confirm that all the pieces of evidence are present. Oh yes, that reminds me. I took the liberty of including the evidence in the murder case of Mr. Faraday and Mr. Rell." "Very good, Your Honor," Edgeworth said, "This is the perfect chance to get a closer look at the weapons that killed the two men. We might find some new leads."

Edgeworth, Franziska, and L walked up to the bench. The evidence from the trial and the double murder had been carefully laid out and organized, sealed in more plastic bags. "It's all so real," Franziska said, "Seeing the knife up close. The blood on its tip really drives the point home that it was used to kill someone." L took a quick overview of the evidence. "We have the knife, the gun, an envelope... And what's this? Seems the judge also took the liberty of including Mr. Faraday's organizer. He must have thought its contents would generate some new leads." "Actually," the judge said, "It's was Detective Badd's idea to include the organizer. He said you would be needing it." "I see," Edgeworth said, "Quite the lucky break. Now then, let's get a closer look at the evidence."

He started with the gun. "We know this gun was used to the Cohdopian Embassy staff member. When the responding police force found Mr. Rell still holding it, he was immediately placed under arrest. After that, quite ironically, the gun was used to kill Mr. Rell." He then looked at the bloody knife. "The knife that was used to kill Mr. Faraday... It looks so artistic, it's hard to imagine it could be used to kill but for the blood still on its blade." L picked up Faraday's organizer and removed it from the plastic bag. He then begin to thumb through the pages. "Judging from how full it is," L said, "Faraday used this quite frequently. Not only did he write down notes on all the evidence he found, he wrote down his strategy for getting Mr. Rell convicted."

He cleared his throat and began to read. "'I have collected the evidence I need to prove that Rell was the killer. Between the handgun Rell had on him when he was arrested, and the surveillance tape, I should be able to prove that he was the one. The sound of his handgun going off was recorded with superb clarity on the surveillance video. I also have evidence that I can use to prove that Rell is not the real Yatagarasu. No matter how he may try to play it, as long as I have the Yatagarasu's Key, I can prove he's a phony. If I present it to him in court, it should clear everything up. It's been a long battle... I hope that this will finally bring it to an end.'" "It sounds as though Mr. Faraday was well prepared for the trial ahead," Edgeworth said, "He had evidence to prove Mr. Rell's guilt and disprove his claims that he was the Yatagarasu." "Too bad he didn't count on Mr. Rell suddenly accusing _him,_" Franziska said. L nodded. "Regardless, we can consider this organizer a clue from Faraday himself. A clue from beyond the grave..."

As he flipped through the pages, a picture fell out of them. "And what's this now?" The picture appeared to depict a key. The head was butterfly shaped, and there were more butterflies going down the handle. "That's a rather ornate key," Franziska noted, "Just look at the the design on it. I think this must be the 'Yatagarasu's Key' Faraday noted." "Come to think about it," Edgeworth said, "Detective Badd said that the Yatagarasu sent a particular piece of evidence to the police instead of the media, something only handful of people knew about. Perhaps the piece of evidence was this very key." "I get it," Franziska said, "Faraday was trying to keep the key safe from others. After all, he was the lead prosecutor on both the smuggling ring case and the Yatagarasu case."

L nodded. "Although. I can't seem to find any trace of the key itself among the evidence. Also, there's nothing in the organizer about bringing a knife. We know the gun was used to kill the Cohdopian Embassy staff member, but where did the knife come from? Mr. Rell couldn't have smuggled it in, it would have been discovered when he was being checked for contraband. And given that Rell was handcuffed at the time, it would have been impossible for him to hide such a large knife." Edgeworth took a good look at the knife. "You know, I think one of the pieces of evidence we have on us is hiding a big secret." He held up the photo of the Yatagarasu's Key. "TAKE THAT! This is how the knife was smuggled into the courthouse."

"But that doesn't make sense," Franziska said, "Large as it is, how could the key hold a knife like this?" Edgeworth smirked. "You told me earlier I should think a little more outside the box. Well now, Franziska, it's time to practice what you preach." He tapped the photo. "The color and design, don't they resemble that of the knife? Also, although Mr. Faraday mentioned the Yatagarasu's Key in his organizer, he made no mention of a knife whatsoever. However, this very knife was found at the crime scene, and there's been no sign of the key." "I think I get what you're saying Edgeworth," L said, "Let me try..." He carefully took the knife out of it's plastic bag and examined it. Finding a little latch on the bottom of the handle, he opened it.

Before their eyes, L flipped the knife's handle into two parts and folded them back to reveal the same key from the photo. "It would appear out murderous knife and the Yatagarasu's Key are one and the same," L said, "Quite clever." "It's almost unbelievable," Franziska said, "This has to be the single most important piece of information we've learned so far." "Indeed," Edgeworth agreed, "And I'd be willing to bet Faraday didn't know a thing about this little trick, since he only mentioned the key aspect in his organizer." Franziska got it. "So only someone who knew about the key-to-knife trick could have killed Mr. Faraday! Since only a handful of people knew about this... Rue Ryuzaki, what are the odds Scruffy could have know?"

"Less than 1%," L said, "We're looking for someone who knew more about the key than even Faraday, and since Gumshoe seems to know very little of anything, I highly doubt he would have known of this. The only person who would really know about this trick is the one who sent it in the first place, the Yatagarasu himself." "Faraday knew nothing of the knife aspect," Franziska said, "And we already have solid that Mack Rell wasn't the Yatagarasu. That means our mysterious third person, the one we think is the killer, has to be the Yatagarasu. But I thought the Yatagarasu never kills." "Or maybe," L said, "He's never been put into a position where it was necessary to kill." "Maybe," Edgeworth said, "Regardless, this key is, quite literally, the key to this whole mystery. Oh yes, I just realized something. Franziska, we've been mentioning today's trial a lot, but I don't think you've even had the chance to skim it. I think now would be a good time to quickly go over the key details."

"About time," Franziska said, "I still don't a have a clue as to the trial earlier." "Basically, the facts are these," Edgeworth said, "On the night of September 8, Deid Mann, a member of staff at the Cohdopian Embassy, was shot and killed in front of the embassy building. Mack Rell was brought in for questioning shortly after the police responded to the shooting and was thoroughly questioned. As he was found holding the murder weapon, he was arrested on the spot." "It would seem Mr. Rell was quite the simpleton," Franziska noted. Edgeworth nodded to her. "Perhaps he was, for that wasn't the only piece of incriminating evidence. He was also caught on film by a nearby security camera."

L snickered. "That was rather sloppy of him. How can someone in this day and age not know about security cameras?" "Well apparently," Edgeworth said, "The embassy's security is well-designed. Top of the line equipment. It's possible Mr. Rell was simply not aware of the camera in that area. Ryuzaki, Mr. Von Karma made a note, I believe, of seeing you in the viewer's gallery, so I believe you saw the contents of the video as well as I, correct?" "That's right," L said, "With evidence like that, there's not a defense attorney in the world could have covered for him. In fact, at first I was surprised he had a professional attorney instead of a public defender." "So the tape was played during trial then?," Franziska asked.

"Indeed," Edgeworth said, "In it one could clearly identify Mr. Rell as the shooter. It even had the sound of the gunshot, crystal clear. It was almost as if the whole courtroom was at the crime scene at the time of the murder." "That reminds me," L said, "I don't see the surveillance video among the evidence. Your Honor, this is all the evidence that was found inside Mr. Faraday's bag, correct?" The judge. "That's everything we found inside the evidence bag. And yes, I did notice that the surveillance video was missing. Rather odd, that. I wonder if the tape could still be at the crime scene." L pressed his thumb to his lips. "There's a 52% chance it might be there. We'd better have a second look at Defendant Lobby No.2."

* * *

_September 10, 6:00 PM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 2_

As the three investigators re-entered the crime scene, they saw Detective Badd speaking with someone. He looked to be of Asian nationality, and his blonde-hair had a style reminiscent of wolf. He was wearing what looked like Chinese police uniform. _'I wonder who that is,'_ Edgeworth thought when he saw him. "So," Badd asked the officer, "Did you find it?" The officer shook his head. "Not yet, Detective, and I've looked everywhere so far." Badd sighed. "Alright. Continue the search." The officer saluted. "Understood." As he walked out of the room, he spotted Edgeworth. "So you're the one running the show here, huh? Tch. Prosecutors shouldn't even be allowed on crime scenes."

As the officer walked out of the lobby, L scratched his temple. "Something tells that young man has a chip on his shoulder." "He seemed rather impudent," Franziska said, "Anyway, let's go talk with Detective Badd." Badd was standing in front of the window, once again looking into his mirror. As they approached, he said, "So, you three have something more to talk about?" Edgeworth was taken aback. _'It would seem his mirror is not for personal vanity.'_ "Detective Badd," L said, "Who was that you were talking to just now?" Badd turned around to face them. "Guy's name is Agent Lang. He's an officer from the Republic of Zheng Fa. Apparently he's trying to restore his family's lost honor, and to that end he's been traveling the world to study different 'philosophies of detainment'. To be honest, he's still just a rookie, but he seems to have a strong grudge of some kind."

"Apparently it's directed at prosecutors," Franziska said, "I wonder why. Anyway, Detective Badd, just what we looking for? You seem to have a few people out looking for something." Badd scoffed. "Nothing that concerns you three." "I think it might," Edgeworth said, "By the way, you seem to keep moving from place to place, even returning to some places you've already been." "It's like I always say," Badd said, "Multiple returns to a crime scene brings about success. That's the key to a good investigation." "Which reminds me," L said, "We should thank you for sending us Faraday's organizer. It proved to more helpful than I think even you realized. You see, there's a certain trick to certain piece of evidence I'm 90% convinced even you know nothing about."

"That right?," Badd said, "Care to explain Ryuzaki?" L showed Badd the picture of the Yatagarasu's Key. "I assume, of course, you know of this." "Of course," Badd said, "It's my job to know anything and everything about the Yatagarasu." "Well here's something I'm willing to bet you didn't know," L said, "The knife that killed Faraday, and the item known as the Yatagarasu's Key... Are one and the same!" Badd had a clear look of surprise on his face. "That's... Impossible!" L smirked. "As I thought. You didn't know. This so-called key is, in fact, a well-camouflaged knife. I'm assuming this is the same key Faraday was planning to use to disprove Rell's claim that he was the Yatagarasu, correct?"

"Yeah," Badd said, "I guess it is." L nodded. "However, I doubt Faraday could have know the little secret this key hides." Badd took out his lollipop. "No doubt. Neither me nor Faraday knew about this, and of course no one else in law enforcement knew either. Something this important... How could we have missed it?" "You were searching for something earlier," Edgeworth said, "May I assume this key is the object you were seeking?" "Sure is," Badd said, "I promised Faraday I'd protect that key with my very life. After he was killed, the key disappeared from his evidence bag. How ironic... The key itself is what took his life." "Detective Badd," L said, "For the sake of our investigation, I recommend you make a full testimony of your actions during the time-frame of the murder."

"Fine," Badd said, "Though I doubt it'll change anything. And this will be the last time I say anything about this." He cleared his throat. "I was in Lobby No. 1 talking with Yew. We were talking about some trivial things. I heard the gunshot right before the trial was about to reconvene." "HOLD IT!," Edgeworth called out, "Did you notice anything else out of the ordinary after hearing the gunshot?" Badd shook his head. "I didn't hear any other strange sounds... Until that gunshot." "OBJECTION!," Edgeworth called out, holding up the balloon remnant, "Does this balloon remind you of anything?" "Sure," Badd said, "Kay was holding a balloon of that same color some time ago." "Then you knew about it?," Franziska asked in surprise.

Badd nodded. "Sure did. Kay was sitting with me in the viewer's gallery during the trial. After the recess started, I blew that balloon up for her." "Well then," Edgeworth said, "You should know this piece came from Kay's balloon. As she told you herself, during the recess she was with Detective Gumshoe. During their time together, she decided to play a harmless prank on him and popped the balloon on a cactus sitting on the windowsill above them. The now popped balloon then fell on the windowsill, where we found it afterwards. So tell me, Detective Badd, are saying you couldn't hear the sound of the balloon popping? The judge heard it. It was the sound he mistook for a gunshot earlier."

"Is that right?," Badd said, "I was wondering about that." "His Honor said he heard the balloon popping about 20 minutes before the end of recess," Franziska said, "At a time when you were in Lobby No. 1, which means you were close enough to hear it as well." Badd took out his lollipop. "I think there's something you kids need to know about this courthouse. Did you ever stop to think why the doors and walls of the place are so rugged? This whole courthouse was not only built to keep suspects from getting out, but secrets as well. The doors and walls are super thick, the windowpanes are double-layered, and even the curtains are made of a special material that absorbs sound waves. In other words, it would have been impossible for me to have overheard a balloon popping while in Lobby No. 1." "Great," Franziska said, "That means Scruff-faces testimony is completely useless! If the rooms are soundproof, he wouldn't have heard anything coming the lobbies, let alone a struggle."

L suddenly hit his fist against his palm. "That's it! That's why I had this nagging feeling about the gunshot! If a fake gunshot in the hallway couldn't be heard in the lobbies, then by the same logic, one shouldn't be able to hear a real gun go off in the lobbies from the hallway. I knew about this courthouse and it's construction from the get-go, which is why I was confused as to how a gunshot could be heard going off." Badd had a look of realization in his eyes. "Say, that's a good point, Ryuzaki. Man, I must more out of it from Faraday's murder than I thought..." "The gunshot could not have been heard," Edgeworth said, "And yet it was... This has to be the biggest contradiction yet. There must be an explanation. We have to examine the state of the crime scene..."

_'Wait,' _Edgeworth suddenly thought, _'The state of the crime scene... But could it really be...!?'_ He thought back to everything he heard up until that point, and a few key facts popped up in his head. _"__Yew's perfume. She spilled some of it." "This TV is way too noisy." "I don't see the surveillance video among the evidence." 'It's all becoming clear now,'_ Edgeworth thought to himself, _'The killer couldn't have escaped through the window himself, but we did earlier smell the fragrance of flowers, and I now think it was actually the smell of perfume coming from Lobby No. 1, which means that intangible things, like smell or sound, can travel through the bars. Sound... With the windows open as they are sound could easily escape from from this room, which is probably how the sound of a gunshot could be heard. A gunshot, perhaps, that came from our missing surveillance video.'_

"I have it," Edgeworth said aloud, "I think I know where we can find the missing surveillance video. If I'm right, the video is under our very noses." He walked over to the TV in the room. "Earlier Gumshoe clumsily turned this on. It made quite the racket. However, normally TVs aren't turned up to such a high volume." He checked the video player. "As I suspected, there's a video tape in here. It appears to have stopped on its own when the tape ran out. I think this could be our missing surveillance video." "If you're right," L said, "We should examine the contents of the video. Detective Badd, at what point in the surveillance video did the gunshot go off?" "Let's see," Badd said, "The footage showing Rell killing Deid Mann was at about 30 minutes from the start of the tape."

"Alright," Edgeworth said, "Here we go." Edgeworth rewound the tape to the right time and hit play. Sure enough, there was the image of Mack Rell killing Deid Mann, with the gunshot heard crystal clear. "This is it then," Franziska said, slightly shaken up from seeing the moment of death, "The missing surveillance video." Edgeworth nodded. "It was here all along. And it was used to disguise the time of death. Do you remember how Ryuzaki said this whole murder should have been impossible from the start? From this, I think it's clear that the murders actually occurred more than 30 minutes before recess ended, before Gumshoe was brought in for guard detail."

He pointed to the window. "EUREKA! Right there, you can see the window open. If the doors and windows of this room were closed, it would impossible to hear anything coming from this room, let alone a gunshot. The killer could have used the gun and no one would be the wiser. However, somehow Gumshoe, Badd, and Yew all heard the gunshot." "I get it," Franziska said, "With the windows open in both defendant lobbies and the hallway, the gunshot could be heard easily. But of course, the killer wouldn't want the fatal shot to be heard." "In other words," Edgeworth said, "There were actually two shots, one the killer wanted quiet, and one he wanted to be heard. And that second one came from the surveillance tape." "So the killer was hoping to manipulate our perception of the time of the murder," L said, "Very clever." Franziska nodded. "That's why they left the tape running. Whenever the gunshot on the tape would be heard, that's when people would assume the murders happened!"

Badd looked flabbergasted. "All along... I was hearing a fake gunshot... That was made to sound real." "This puts Scruffy in the clear," Franziska said, "If the murders really occurred more than thirty minutes before the end of recess, that puts them at a time before his arrival to the courthouse." "Which means we're searching for a new suspect," Edgeworth said, "Someone who has no alibi for before that time." At that moment, a bailiff entered the lobby. "Mr. Edgeworth, sir? Ms. Yew has asked to see you. She says she's identified the murderer, but wants to clarify a few things." Edgeworth nodded. "Very well, we'll be along presently." "I'll come with you," Badd said, "I'd like to hear just what she's been investigating." L smirked. "This is getting fun. Looks like I'll be having round two with Calisto Yew."

To be continued...

**Stay tuned, the conclusion of this case is next chapter. Read and review.**


	4. Chapter 4: Turnabout Reminiscence Part 4

**This chapter ends Turnabout Reminiscence, but not the story. We'll see just who the murderer is here and now... After several pages of text. Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, Person, or Ace Attorney.**

Chapter 4: Turnabout Reminiscence Part 4

_September 10, 6:15 PM_

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 3_

The two detectives and two prosecutors walked into the courtroom to find Calisto standing behind the Defense's Bench. Kay appeared from the other side of the courtroom. "Kay...," Edgeworth said, "What are you doing here?" Kay smiled. "Still investigating!" L cleared his throat. "Listen, Kay. We... Happened upon the item you're looking for, but right now there's something us adults have to discuss regarding your father." He pulled out a pack of Swiss rolls. "I'll give you this if you stay out of the courtroom for right now, okay?" Kay's eyes lit up. "Sure! Thank you, Ryuzaki!" She took the pack and ran out of the courtroom. "Where did you get that?," Franziska said, "I don't remember seeing you buy one of those."

"I actually bought several of them over the course of the investigation," L said, "But haven't had a chance to enjoy them yet. Since I had so many, I thought I'd use one to bribe Kay and get her out of the courtroom. Better she not hear the details about her father's death." Badd smiled. "Thanks Ryuzaki, I appreciate that." He walked over to the Procter's Box, while the other three walked behind the Prosecutor's Bench. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Ms. Yew," L said, "You said you've found the murderer in our little case here? I must admit I've been hoping we can lay this case to rest at last." Calisto smirked. "I thought we already did when we arrested Gumshoe."

L shrugged. "Maybe we did... And maybe we didn't. Mr. Edgeworth and Ms. Von Karma have been doing some investigating, with some minor assistance from me. Perhaps now would be a good time to compare our investigations and see who has the better logic in this case. So then, Calisto Yew, round two perchance?" "Sure," Calisto said, "I didn't feel like our previous confrontation was much of a contest anyway. But first I gotta ask, why is Detective Badd here?" Badd scoffed. "I have duty to see this case through to the end, that's all." "I see...," Yew said, "Anyway, I've taken statements on every single person's movements..."

"And let me guess," L said, "You asked them all about their movements during the time Gumshoe was in the building, and have also confirmed there are no escape routes from Lobby No. 2." Calisto nodded. "There's no doubt Gumshoe is the killer, Ryuzaki. Even you must see that." "Not quite," L said, wagging his finger, "Let's just say the three of us have been a little more thorough in our investigation. Plus, we only have your word that you investigated in the manner you did. Granted there's no evidence to the contrary, so for now I'll go under the assumption that you have been investigating and go from there. If you'd care to testify to the details of your investigation, we'll begin."

"Sure," Calisto said. "Ryuzaki," Edgeworth said, "Do you have some sort of stratagem for dealing with Ms. Yew's testimony." L nodded. "I'm going to take each statement of her testimony and press for more information, getting the full details of her investigation. It will help me avoid about 99% of any traps she may have lying in wait." Calisto finished fixing her makeup, then began her testimony. "Everyone, sans the suspect, has an alibi for when the gun went off." "HOLD IT!," L said, "Wasn't Gumshoe's alibi already proven?" Calisto started laughing again. "You're kidding right. I mean, sure, we heard from the judge about how Gumshoe was sharing a snack with that kid from before, but that was 20 minutes before the real gunshot."

L smirked. "Which, you forget, was right before trial was about to reconvene, sending both you and Badd rushing over to check it out. Did you already forget how I explained this earlier?" "Oh that," Calisto said, "Well, he could have killed them after the kid left using a hidden silencer, set the scene, then fired a second gunshot to get everyone running. It would have taken less then a second for him to leave the lobby and close the door behind him, making it look like he was still doing his duty." "That's circumstantial at best," L said, "But bravo for coming up with a plausible explanation." Calisto nodded. "Furthermore, the areas around the crime scene have all been thoroughly investigated, right?"

"HOLD IT!," L called out, "How can you say for sure they were 'thoroughly' searched?" "Well," Calisto said, "Even if you believe it wasn't an exhaustive search, we all know that the crime scene itself has no way out other than the front door. Needless to say, that door leads to the hallway where Gumshoe was standing. Since he claimed to be there, that makes him the only possible suspect!" L nodded. "I have to admit, that door is the only way out. The windows are barred and we're on the third floor of the courthouse. But just to be safe, Detective Badd, I assume you made sure to check the windows just in case." Badd nodded. "Yeah, and we didn't find any evidence that someone had used the windows, or any footprints in the garden."

"Seems they really did check everything related to the case," Edgeworth said. Calisto continued, "I also confirmed that there is no possible escape route from Lobby No. 2." "HOLD IT!," L called out, "Are you certain about that?" "Really, Ryuzaki," Calisto said, "This is just common sense. We are in a courthouse, after all. If there was some secret escape route, every criminal brought here would be using it." "Common sense is something you should think about using, Rue Ryuzaki!," Franziska said, lashing L with her whip. "Ow," L said, "I was just trying to make sure this wouldn't bite us in the butt later." Calisto started laughing again. After she calmed down, she continued her testimony. "Which leaves us with one unshakable conclusion, that Detective Gumshoe is the killer."

"HOLD IT!," L said, "It's far from unshakable, and I do have one thing to mention before we go any further. You said earlier that you asked everyone except the suspect about their movements. However, the three of us have spoken to you several times, yet you didn't ask us about our whereabouts during that time." "There was no need," Calisto said, "Edgeworth was given an alibi by his mentor, the judge said that he saw you in the men's restroom, and as for Ms. Von Karma..." She started laughing again. "She had entered the courthouse during recess... And was... Stopped by a guard at the door to the hallway... I hear she gave him quite the whipping for that." "Hold on," Edgeworth said, "Does that mean the you reason came here, Franziska, is because you found out I was to be the replacement prosecutor...?"

Franziska grumbled. "I'm more surprised to hear that Ryuzaki bumped into the judge in the men's restroom." "We didn't," L said, "Or I would have mentioned it. He probably noticed me, but I didn't know he was there with me until he gave his testimony. And yes, I did hear the popping of Kay's balloon, but only as I was leaving. But I digress. Ms. Yew, did you happen to get everyone's statements about their movements from before Gumshoe was assigned guard detail?" "Why would I need to?," Calisto said, "All that matters is that from the time Gumshoe arrived to the time we heard the gunshot, there was no one else who could have committed the murders."

"Ah yes," L said, "And let's talk about that gunshot you heard. Granted if we go by your logic, then Gumshoe is indeed the only person who could have committed this crime. However, what if the crime was actually committed at a time BEFORE he even arrived?" "OBJECTION!," Calisto called out, "How could someone have manipulated the time of the shooting without a gun of their own?" L smiled and held up the surveillance video. "TAKE THAT! I believe you realize just what this is." Calisto was nervously doing her makeup. "The surveillance video..." L nodded. "We found it in the crime scene, Lobby No. 2, loaded into the video player. The TV it was connected to had the volume turned all the way up, as demonstrated by Gumshoe." "Wait," Calisto said, "You can't be saying..."

"But I am," L said, "It's clear that the killings happened at a much earlier time, and this tape was used to manipulate our perception of the time of the murders. After committing the double homicide, the killer set the scene to make it look like the two men killed each other, placing the gun in the wrong hand. They then took the surveillance video from Faraday's evidence bag, turned the volume on the TV all the way up, and left the video to play. Played from the beginning, it would take 30 minutes for the gunshot sound to come on. This opens up the possibility of other suspects besides Gumshoe." "OBJECTION!," Calisto said, "Sounds from a TV don't amount to much here."

L smirked. "Are you referring to how the whole building is soundproof? I was aware of that from the beginning." "Right," Calisto said, "So we shouldn't have heard that video, but we still heard the gunshot." "Your point being...?," L said, biting into one of the Swiss rolls he had bought. Calisto seemed to realize the contradiction she was making. "I see I'll have to point out how you were able to hear a gunshot in a soundproof room," L said, "As it happens, we looked through both of the defendant lobbies." He shoved another Swiss roll into his mouth. "And we noticed the window was open in both rooms. There's also an open window in the hallway. Rather strange since I also noticed air conditioners in all these locations."

Calisto continued to nervously fix her makeup as L picked up anther Swiss roll. "Needless to say the window in Lobby No. 2 was opened by the killer, but what about Lobby No. 1?" "OBJECTION!," Calisto said, "It's probably just coincidence that both windows were opened." "NOT SO FAST!," L called out, "The odds of that are a mere 3%. There had to be a reason why the window in Lobby No. 1 was opened. Someone did something in that room to trigger the opening of that window, and that person is the real killer." He pointed straight at Calisto. "And the person who I speak of... Is you Calisto Yew!" The whole courtroom grew shocked, and Calisto wound up smearing lipstick on her cheek. "Are you serious, Ryuzaki!?" "I have quite the impressive record when it comes to solving cases," L said, "So yes, I'm 98% sure that you, Ms. Yew, are the real killer of Mr. Rell and Mr. Faraday."

"Hold on," Franziska said, "How are you even sure of this." L smirked. "Given everything we've learned up until this point, I've gotten a better grasp of the whole picture. But first, Ms. Yew, perhaps you would care to try and rebut my claim?" "Of course," Calisto said, "You argue that the window was opened, however, do you have proof it was I who did that?" "NOT SO FAST!," L called out, "First of all, I never said you opened it yourself. After all, the killer might only draw attention to themselves if they opened the window for no reason. As for how you got the window open, I wonder if you recognize this?" He held up the perfume bottle. "We got this from Detective Badd earlier. That reminds me Franziska, for someone who claims she hates the smell, you've been trying it yourself once or twice."

Franziska blushed. "You should really be more honest about your wants," Edgeworth said. That only got him a quick lashing, setting Calisto off again. "If you would calm down for two seconds," L said, his eyebrow twitching, "I really shouldn't have brought that up... As I was saying, we got this perfume bottle from Detective Badd, who says that he got it from you. He also mentioned that you made a big show of spilling some of it." "Well," Calisto said, "I did. It was just an accident." "Accident or not," Edgeworth said, "It did cause Badd to move to open a window." "OBJECTION!," Calisto called out, "I already said that was a big coincidence. After the window was opened, we just left it open to air out the room. So maybe it was just dumb luck that we heard the gunshot, or video, or whatever it was."

"NOT SO FAST!," L called out, "The timing of when you spilled the perfume is something you could control. Let's not forget we've already discussed how the perceived time of the shooting was manipulated. Not to mention you would have needed an alibi for yourself." "Wait," Badd said, realizing the full scope of what L was getting at, "You really mean that...?" L nodded. "Ms. Yew, you were the one who called Detective Badd into Lobby No. 1 when you saw him bring Gumshoe into the hallway. Given all that, there's 87% chance that all the premeditated event were thought up by you. Better choose your next argument carefully, or those odds will continue to swing in our favor."

Calisto smirked. "So you're only accusing me based on the fact that I spilled a little perfume, Ryuzaki? Then allow me to say this much, I couldn't have killed Mr. Faraday." "Is that right?," L said, "Care to elaborate?" "I suppose if I have to," Calisto said, "But this is my final testimony." She started fixing her makeup again. "Accusing someone of murder over a spilled bottle of perfume is a bit over the top. In any case, it simply could not have been me who killed Mr. Faraday. After all, I don't even know where the knife that was used to kill him came from." "HOLD IT!," L said, "Maybe you aren't aware of this, Ms. Yew, but the knife had actually been taken from Faraday's evidence bag."

"That's odd," Calisto said, "I don't remember a knife being presented at trial today." L subtly winked at Franziska and Edgeworth. "Well, the truth is that piece of evidence was something Faraday had yet to use." Calisto smirked. "Good try, Ryuzaki. But I know for a fact there was no knife in Faraday's bag, just the key the Yatagarasu sent. So unless a key can become a knife by magic, you don't have leg to stand. Honestly, did you really think you could trap me like that?" L gave a smirk of his own. "I'll admit I was trying to trap you, but can you really say you evaded it?" "Why not?," Calisto said, "As I said, there was a key in his evidence bag, but you can't kill anyone with a simple key!"

"NOT SO FAST!," L called out, and he held up the photo of the Yatagarasu's Key, "Ms. Yew, perhaps you could take a look at this photo. It's the key you mentioned seeing. However, this is in fact more than just a key." He brought the knife out. "You see, Ms. Yew, both the Yatagarasu's Key and this knife are in fact the very same object. You said you knew that this key was in Faraday's evidence bag, and with this key alone, it would be very easy to kill Byrne Faraday!" "OBJECTION!," Calisto said, "I still didn't get a good look at that key. How do I know you're not lying?" "Fine then," L said, throwing her the knife, "See for yourself. There's a small latch at the bottom of the handle."

Calisto carefully caught the knife and tried it out. "Wow, who knew this knife held such a little trick?" "Oh, I think you knew from the beginning," L said, "After all, only those in law enforcement knew about this key to begin with, and even then only a select few." Calisto flinched, realizing the mistake she made. "And another thing," L said, "How did you even know what it was that the Yatagarasu sent?" "Oh that," Calisto said, "I heard it from Faraday when he before he dragged Mr. Rell off. He also told me about the key-to-knife trick, though he didn't tell me how it works." "NOT SO FAST!," L called out, "That scenario is beyond impossible. Faraday himself didn't know about the trick key." He held up Faraday's organizer. "He wrote about all the pieces of evidence for today's trial in here, and it contains nothing about a knife."

"OBJECTION!," Calisto called out, "I'm not sure he would have written everything in there. I mean, wouldn't like this be better left to oral communication?" "NOT SO FAST!," L called out, "But good try. You see, Ms. Yew, Detective Badd didn't know about the knife aspect of the key either. Besides, the existence of the key is highly classified within the police force, and the knife aspect was unknown until recently, so why would Faraday have felt the need to share this information with his opponent?" Calisto burst into laughter again. "You've a point there! Guess my excuse was pretty lame..." L smirked. "Well, I think I know how you really know the truth about this knife. You see, there's only one person in the world who would have known about the secret of the Yatagarasu's Key... THE GREAT THIEF YATAGARASU... herself."

Calisto started quivering all of sudden. "Rue Ryuzaki," Franziska said, "Are you saying this defense lawyer is the real Yatagarasu?" Edgeworth crossed his arms. "It makes sense when you think about it. Ms. Yew used Rell to lure Faraday into a trap. But why, Yew? You profess to hate criminals, yet you commit something so dastardly as murder? And not just one man, but two!" Calisto suddenly started laughing so hard so was doubling over in pain. When she finally stopped, her hair was covering her face. "I see," she said softly, "It all makes sense to me. But who would have thought you'd be here of all places... L..." Franziska, Edgeworth, and Badd looked over to where L was sitting. "What?," L said, "Were you expecting the world's greatest detective to look like something else?" He popped another Swiss roll into her mouth.

Badd relaxed and turned back to Calisto. "So it is true, Yew. You killed Faraday... But why...?" Calisto smirked. "Actually, Calisto Yew isn't my real name. Yes, L got it right. I am, in fact, the Great Thief Yatagarasu! As to why I killed Faraday, well he was a hard man to deal with. He had learned my identity even before L did. That says a lot about his talent as a prosecutor. So I saw no alternative but to erase him from the world of law. Before the trial began, I made Rell an offer. I would get him an acquittal in exchange for a little favor. All he had to do was accuse Faraday of being the Yatagarasu in court. However, Rell got dragged off Faraday."

"I get it," L said, "That action threw a monkey wrench into your plans." "Unfortunately," Calisto said, "So I chased after them and eavesdropped on them. I'm pretty good at that, as you've seen before. Rell was a real thug, and only caved to two things, money and authority. If I let things go any longer my plan would have ruined, and I would have been exposed. So I had no choice, I had to kill them both." "Yew...," Badd said, angered, "Have you forgotten about the KG-8 Incident?" Calisto smirked. "Maybe..." "Was it part of your plan to kill Faraday with the same 'evidence' you sent to the police?," Edgeworth asked. "Sort of," Calisto said, "I anticipated Faraday would use that key to prove Rell wasn't the Yatagarasu."

"So you knew the key would be in his evidence bag," L said, "With such a well-disguised weapon, no one would be the wiser. After all, who would normally think a key could turn into knife." "You really are as sharp as they say," Calisto said, "I casually entered Lobby No. 2 on the pretext of needing to speak with Faraday. In order to get into the room, I had to pretend I was worried about something. He was way too trusting, actually let me hold the key. He never saw me change it into a knife while it was still inside the bag. I'm willing to bet he never even had a chance to take notice of it." Badd was really shaken up. "How could you...!?

Calisto shrugged. "Well, after knowing him for so long, I thought the least I could do was give him a painless death." "But if you had already killed Faraday," Edgeworth said, "There was no need to kill Rell as well!" "Uh, Edgeworth," L said, "We already went over this. The only reason she killed him was because Rell was now an accidental witness." "You should really pay attention more," Calisto said, "We went over it when I had Gumshoe arrested. After I realized Rell was a liability, I had to think fast. That's when I came up with the plan to make everyone think they had killed each other. I hadn't planned on using a gun at first, too risky. But then I remembered the surveillance tape."

L nodded. "So you had Rell help you set up the scene." "Yep," Calisto replied, "And when all was said and done, I rewarded him with a cold, lead bullet." Edgeworth growled. "He was your client! How could you possibly...?" Calisto smirked. "Actually, before he became my client, I was his." "Ah," L said, "I had been wondering about Rell's motive for killing Deid Mann. So, he was a hired assassin. Too bad he was such a sloppy one. He was caught on tape, and still had the murder weapon with him when he was arrested. But the only reason I can think of as to why you have a Cohdopian Embassy staff member killed..." "Is because she's in league with the smuggling ring," Edgeworth finished, "It all fits into place." Badd was really shaken up now. "Unbelievable... All this time..."

"So much for a noble thief," Franziska said, "In the end, it looks the Yatagarasu IS just another cold-blooded killer!" Calisto started laughing again. "Well, I will admit Faraday was the first person I had actually killed myself up until that point." "There's no use running anymore, Yatagarasu!," Edgeworth said, "It's time to accept the judgement of this court!" Calisto just smirked. "There's something you still don't know about me. Do you know the reason why the Yatagarasu has three legs? It's because she has more than one razor-sharp way to do her work." Before any of them could react, she pulled a small pistol from her jacket and pointed it at them.

"Kind of a mistake on your part, L," she said, "Handing me this key. It may not have gone down the way I planned it, but I was still able to recover it." L merely scratched his temple. "Wow... My first slip-up. Guess this business with Kira is really getting to me." "And you Edgeworth," Calisto said, "Didn't I tell you earlier to keep your eyes on a criminal... Cause you may end up regretting it?" As she pulled back the hammer, Badd yelled, "GET DOWN!" L and Franziska quickly dove behind the bench, but Edgeworth froze. Before Calisto could pull the trigger, Edgeworth heard Kay yell, "Mr. Edgeworth! To your right!" Edgeworth threw himself to the ground right before Calisto pulled the trigger.

Not bothering to check whether she had hit him or not, Calisto ran out of the courtroom, Badd hot on her heels. Once Edgeworth saw they were gone, he went to check on Franziska. "Are you alright!?" Franziska nodded. "Fine... Just... A little shaken..." L got up. "It looks like we're all unharmed, lucky thing. But Calisto got away. She must have realized I was on to her, which is why she asked to see the key for herself. I should have demanded it back. Something inside me told me... It was the key she wanted all along." Edgeworth nodded. "It's alright, L. We all make mistakes." He looked around. "Where did Kay go? I could have sworn I heard her voice a second ago." Suddenly, another gunshot was heard through the open door.

* * *

_September 10, 7:00 PM_

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 3_

A little later, Edgeworth, Franziska, L, and the judge were waiting. Soon enough, Badd walked into the courtroom with Gumshoe behind him. L noted a small trickle of blood going down Badd's arm. "Sorry," Badd said, "But it looks she got away. I already called the precinct, so they should have a perimeter set up soon." "Are you alright Detective Badd?," Edgeworth said in concern, "I heard a gunshot earlier." "Fine," Badd said as he held his shoulder, "Just got another hole in my jacket is all... More importantly, are any of you hurt?" "We'll be fine," L said, "For a second I was worried about Edgeworth, but he appears to be unharmed." Edgeworth nodded. "Yes, thanks to Kay."

Badd looked around the courtroom. "Where is she anyway? I spotted her sneaking in here a few seconds before Yew pulled out that gun. Well... I'd better go look for her. Oh, that reminds me... Detective Gumshoe, sorry for doubting you earlier." Gumshoe nodded. "It's alright sir. But then again, I wasn't really helping things by lying." Badd shook his head. "I heard the whole story from Kay. Lying while giving testimony is normally an unforgivable back, but since you were protecting Kay and her feelings... I think we can let it slide this once. You've got heart, Gumshoe. Seems you have what it takes to be a real detective. Don't go losing that spirit, son." Gumshoe saluted. "You got it Detective Badd, sir!"

"I'll have this investigation flagged for III," L said, "I'm sure both Naoto and Kanji will none to pleased to learn they were played for fools. Kanji alone is rather infamous for taking on a hundred bikers at once... And winning." "That'll be good," Badd said, "I could use the help... Cause I wanna make sure Yew is brought to justice. I'll see you two later, Mr, Edgeworth, Ms. Von Karma. Maybe our careers will let us cross paths again." Edgeworth nodded. "Take care, Detective Badd." Badd nodded to them, then walked out of the courtroom. "Looks like that's it then," Gumshoe said, "I really owe you one, pal! You guys helped clear my name!" "Indeed," Edgeworth said, "I'm just glad we found the real truth before you were hauled off to prison."

The judge nodded. "I only wish I hadn't caused so much trouble with my testimony. So facts wound up being misinterpreted today." "I wouldn't say it's entirely your fault, Your Honor," Franziska said, "If that lawyer really was eavesdropping and realized the illusion of the two men killing each was being broken, she would have found some way to place all the blame on Scruffy, with or without your testimony." Gumshoe slumped. "To think, I was almost fired on my first week as a detective." "Well, you weren't," Edgeworth said, "So you should take this opportunity to work hard at your duties. Oh, and before I forget..." He pulled out the Swiss roll from Kay. "Kay left this for you." Gumshoe's eyes lit up. "One of the Courthouse Special Swiss Rolls! Thanks, pal! This means a lot to me!"

As Gumshoe started munching the Swiss roll, Edgeworth thought to himself, _'This is real proof of the friendship those two share. A shame the one Kay had saved never reached her father... Poor girl. Still, it seems her sentiments have touched the heart of this detective.'_ "Come to think of it," Gumshoe said as he finished the Swiss roll, "Just where did Kay go?" "Badd left to go find her," L said, "Maybe you should join him. I'm sure you want to thank Kay yourself, since this is a present from her after all." Gumshoe nodded. "Good thinking, pal. I'll go do that. And Mr. Edgeworth, sir. I hope we can work together more often!" Edgeworth sighed. "Well, maybe. Anyway, Franziska, we should head home. Mr. Von Karma is waiting for our report." L watched as the two of them walked out of the courtroom. _'We should definitely keep on eye on those two. They have much potential... Which the III can make use of.'_

Next case: Turnabout Beginnings

**Bit of a shocker there at the end, huh? So, how many of you thought it might be the defense lawyer? Read and review, and tell me who you thought it might have been. And remember, the story's not over yet...**


	5. Chapter 5: Turnabout Beginnings Part 1

**Time now for the second case in our story. We're still in the months before the end of "I Reject It" but this case will be a little shorter: only two chapters.**

Chapter 5: Turnabout Beginnings Part 1

_February 15, 2012 (13 months and 13 days before the closure of the Kira case):_

Mello took a bite out of the chocolate bar he had with him. Standing on the cliff overlooking the Eagle River, several miles outside of Los Angeles, he remembered the case that had taken place here five years ago. L had been investigating that case, only stopping because he felt the Kira case took priority. Mello himself was in his late teen years. He was dressed in a black, grunge-style outfit and had dirty blonde hair that came down to his shoulders. _'I was asked by L's temporary replacement to take over for this new case. Five years since the day of that tragic case, and now the responding officer is found dead.'_

The case Mello spoke of involved a kidnapping. Mello was not yet aware of the full details, but he was sure he would come to learn of them soon enough. After all, the prime suspect in this current case was the same person responsible for the kidnapping, and the victim was the responding officer from that time. Mello walked over to his car and took out the manilla envelope sent to him from III. It contained all the evidence L had collected from that case. The two most important things Mello found were a receipt from a pawn shop, and a rare, uncut diamond. _'Interesting,'_ Mello said, _'I wonder how I'll wind up using these in today's trial. III is sure the defendant is not guilty, so I'd better have a chat with the defense attorney.'_

* * *

_February 16, 9:24 AM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 4_

Mia Fey stood nervously in the middle of the defendant lobby. She was a very attractive young woman in a black women's suit, with dark brown hair that came down to her waist. This was her first case as a new defense attorney, but already she was feeling it was the wrong case. Just then, someone appeared in front of her. "Eek!," she screamed, the calmed down when she recognized her client. He was a rather large man wearing the usual prison uniform, the ID number "073D" taped across the chest. There seemed to be a gold chain around his neck, and he was carrying a ball and chain used to make sure he couldn't get far. There appeared to barbed wire-shaped scars across his face.

"Seems someone's a little jumpy," came another voice from the nearby door. Mia turned, the smell of chocolate hitting her nostrils. She soon spotted the youth standing in the front door, looking almost like he belonged in a biker gang. "Oh," Mia said, "You must be Mello. My bosses already got the call. Sorry, I'm just a little nervous. This is my first trial after all. Besides it's not everyday you have to defend a death row inmate." The defendant suddenly yelled out, "I din't do nuttin'! I never killed nobody!" The shock caused Mia to jump again. Mello just sighed. "First, calm down, it only makes you look more suspicious. Second, you do realize you just spouted a double negative there. So, you must be Terry Fawles."

Fawles nodded his head. "This man was sentenced to death five years ago," Mia said, "Now he's a prison escapee. The fact that he broke out of prison isn't what why we're here though." Mello nodded. "It's because of that dead policewoman, right?" "Five years...," Fawles said, shedding a few tears, "They sentenced me to death five years ago. But... But I was tricked I tell ya!" He started to gnaw on the heavy iron ball, more out of anguish than desperation. "Please stay calm Mr. Fawles," Mia said, "What do you mean?" Fawles started crying again. "That woman lied in her testimony... That's why I got the death penalty!" "I get it," Mello said, "We're dealing with a gentle giant here. Too bad the courts aren't going to see it that way. Not unless he gets a chance to testify for himself. Just how did he escape, anyway?"

"Dumb luck," Mia said, "Literally. There was a prison transfer and the police wagon, which was carrying Mr. Fawles along with several other inmates, wound up crashing. Most of the inmates were rounded up quickly, but Fawles managed to escape. That was two days ago. Eight hours after, a policewoman by the name of Valerie Hawthorne was found murdered before the police could recapture Mr. Fawles." "Okay," Mello said, "So why did the police immediately suspect Fawles?" "I met her," Fawles said, "She's the reason I escaped... But I din't kill her! I tell ya, she was alive when I left her, I swear!" "Well," came another, smoother voice, "We're going have to find out about that today."

Mia and Mello were suddenly hit by the smell of coffee. They both turned around to an older man of apparently Latino descent. He was wearing a red shirt under a white-stripped vest with green pants. He had grayish-black hair that spread out over his head. Mia suddenly began to blush. "Oh, you're... Diego Armando... Why are you here?" "Diego?," Mello said, as he took out some chocolate, "Aren't you one of the defense attorneys in league with the III?" Diego nodded. "Yeah, I just came to see how our little kitten was doing all alone in the big, bad lion's den." Mello smiled as he bit into his chocolate, realizing he must be talking about Mia. "Cute. Mia, you're blushing." Mia suddenly turned even redder as she turned away from the two of them.

"An-Anyway Diego, where's Mr. Grossberg?" Diego shrugged. "Probably still in bed, clutching an empty bottle and mumbling in his sleep. But really Kitten, aren't I good enough?" Mia suddenly became flustered. "I-It's nothing like that I just... I didn't think the finest attorney at Grossberg Law Offices... Would come here... For me..." Mello took another bite of his chocolate. "That is interesting. I mean, whole fact that you're here on behalf of III aside, I would have thought you'd take on this case yourself. After all, one of the world's best defense attorney's going up against a newbie prosecutor?" Diego smirked. "I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm the best. After all, Kitten here's the one with the guts to take on this case!"

Mia suddenly realized something. "Hold on, are you saying the prosecutor is new as well?" "Yep," Diego replied, "Fresh out of his diapers. First trial just like you. But I wouldn't underestimate him. He already has a reputation for being a genius. Word is, he worked with L himself to solve a double homicide in this very courthouse." Mello raised. _'Wait, the _real _L? He was here? So he wasn't running away like I feared, he just wanted to keep Kira at arm's length and monitor the investigation.'_ The intercom announced the start of trial. "Time to get to work, Kitten," Diego said, "Better sharpen those claws." Mia gave a little squeak as Diego led her out of the defendant lobby, followed by Mello and Fawles.

* * *

_February 16, 10:00 AM_

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 4_

Mello stood with Mia and Diego behind the Defense's Bench, while Fawles sat down in the defendant's chair. Across from them at the Prosecutor's Bench stood a young man who looked as though he belonged in Victorian England. The sound of the gavel was soon heard. "Court is now in session for the trial of Terry Fawles," came the judge's booming voice. He appeared to be younger than some of the other judges Mello had seen in the district, but not by much. He did have a small amount of blonde hair on his head, and a rather large beard of the same color. Both defense and prosecution confirmed they were ready, and the judge nodded. "As I understand it, both the prosecution and defense for this trial are newcomers. Mia Fey and Miles Edgeworth, wasn't it?"

Mello bit into his chocolate. "Oh yeah, I remember hearing about you. Hope you're as good at understanding the truth as you were five months ago. L spoke rather highly of your potential." "Yes, well," Edgeworth said, his arms crossed, "That incident did end on a rather bittersweet note." Diego stood in between Mello and Mia, holding a cup of coffee. "I guess our little kitten hasn't earned herself a reputation yet, huh?" Mia just shrugged. "Well, I wasn't the one solving crime scenes in courthouses, now was I?" The judged looked over the case file. "So, our defendant today is an inmate on death row, yes? He escaped from a police wagon two days ago, correct?"

"Precisely, You Honor," Edgeworth said. "Let's not harp on that forever," Mia said, "My client is not on trial for escaping prison, nor does the defense deny that he did escape. This trial is about one thing, and one thing only... The death of Police Sergeant Valerie Hawthorne." The judge nodded. "Agreed. Mr. Edgeworth, let's hear your opening statement." "Of course Your Honor," Edgeworth said, "It was five years ago when the defendant, Terry Fawles, was sentenced to death in this very court for the crime of kidnapping, extortion, and murder. The girl he threw off the bridge that day was only 14 years old."

Mello bit into his chocolate. "I heard about that. Apparently there was no decisive evidence, making the trial much longer than the ones of today. In the end it was a certain witness's testimony that finally brought the trial to a close." "That's right," Edgeworth said, "The testimony of Sergeant Valerie Hawthorne, who confronted this criminal herself. She was the one who arrested Mr. Fawles at the scene and later testified against him. According to her testimony, she had seen Mr. Fawles throw the poor young girl into the river." "I got a good look at that river yesterday," Mello said, "And heard from people living nearby about how powerful the current is."

Edgeworth nodded. "Indeed. Most bodies that fall in are never recovered." The judge stroked his beard. "I think I understand the gist of Edgeworth's statement. The policewoman who arrested Mr. Fawles five years ago is our victim today, thus giving Mr. Fawles a viable motive, correct?" "Exactly, Your Honor," Edgeworth said, "I believe the motive was revenge, pure and simple." "Very well then," the judge said, "We shall proceed with the trial. Mr. Edgeworth, you may call your first witness." "Yes, Your Honor," Edgeworth said, "My first witness is the detective in charge of the investigation." Into the courtroom walked a rather big looking detective. There was what appeared to be a look of recognition on Edgeworth's face.

After clearing his throat, Edgeworth stated, "Please state your name and occupation." "Dick Gumshoe," the detective said, "I'm the homicide detective in charge of the case." "Oh yeah," Mello said, "He's that rookie detective from the case five months ago. Some defense attorney who later turned out to be a criminal in disguise tried to frame him for murder. L and Edgeworth were able to clear him of all charges." "Yes, well," the judge said, "That was then, this is now. Detective Gumshoe, if you would please testify to court about the details of this case."

"Sure thing, Your Honor," Gumshoe said, "As I'm sure most of you know by now, the victim's name is Valerie Hawthorne, a veteran on the police force. She had been stabbed in the back with a knife and died from the blood loss. But enough of what's already in the case file." He took out an aerial map of the region around Eagle River. "This is a sketch of Dusky Bridge, on old suspension bridge that crosses the river." He marked to spots on the bridge. "The victim and the defendant met on the top of bridge. After the killer stabbed the victim in the back, he carried her back to his car. The defendant was later recaptured at a police checkpoint."

"Alright then," the judge said, "Let's have this map added to the Court Record. Was the victim's blood found on the bridge?" "No sir," Gumshoe said, "You see, the victim was found wearing a very heavy coat. It caught most of the blood." "Mr. Edgeworth," the judge said, "There's no room in the court for conjecture. We need some more solid evidence that the victim and defendant met each other on the bridge." "Not to worry, Your Honor," Edgeworth said, "We already have a testimony prepared that will explain how we know those two met at Dusky Bridge." The judge. "Very well then, you may proceed with the testimony. The defense is free to cross-examine should they find anything wrong or need more information." "Yes, Your Honor," Mia said.

"I hope this goes well for you," Diego said as he sipped the coffee he had with him. Mia nodded. "I'm ready for this. After all, I'm not the only beginner in this courtroom." She closed her eyes. _'One meeting with the defendant, and I could just tell he wasn't the sort of person to kill anyone, at least not in the way the victim died. Time for this little kitten to show just how sharp her claws can be.'_ Gumshoe began his testimony. "On the day of the incident, an unknown person phoned the sergeant and asked to meet." "HOLD IT!," Mia called out, "I assume you've investigated as to who this person might, correct?" "That's right, pal," Gumshoe said, "We found out the person in question was the defendant, Terry Fawles."

"The defendant called Sergeant Hawthorne himself?," the judge said in confusion, "How do you know this?" Gumshoe held up a note. "We found this in Sergeant Hawthorne's desk. She had written down the details of Mr. Fawles call to her." "Very well," the judge said, "This note will be added to the Court Record." Mia took a look at the note. Sure enough, it stated quite clearly that Fawles had called her and told her to meet him at Dusky Bridge, wearing a white scarf for identification. It also said something about "telling Dahlia the truth". "Your Honor," Mia said, "Detective Gumshoe should have either mentioned it was Mr. Fawles who was the caller in his testimony or included the note in the Court Record from the beginning."

"Well," Gumshoe said, "I only said 'unknown person' because that's how the prosecution told me to say it." _'That's odd,'_ Mello said, _'I didn't think he'd pull a trick like that. I mean, I know he's the apprentice to Manfred von Karma, but setting a trap like that. Hard to tell if Mia barely fell into it or barely dodged it.'_ Gumshoe continued his testimony. "Sergeant Hawthorne went to Dusky Bridge at the designated time and met with Mr. Fawles. And that's where she was brutally murdered, sir. The criminal stuffed her body into his car trunk and tried to make a getaway." "HOLD IT!," Mia called out, "Why did the defendant have a car in the first place?"

"Well the bridge was high up in the mountains," Gumshoe said, "We know both the defendant and the victim arrived by car." "I realize that much," Mia said, "I was actually wondering where he got the car in the first place, since the one he had five years ago was impounded." "Oh that," Gumshoe said, "You should have said that first, pal. Actually, the car he had when we arrested him was stolen. More dumb luck. He had stolen it from some young couple that was waiting at a red light." He brought out a picture. It showed the trunk of the car Fawles was using, with Valerie body inside it. The judge took a look at the photo. "We'll have this photo added to the Court Record then."

"Hard to tell just from this photo how she died," Mello said, "I assume it was after the picture was taken that the police learned she had been stabbed in the back." Gumshoe nodded. "Yeah, I admit you can't see it from this photo, but the knife was found stuck in her back nice and firm. But I don't see anything else that's strange, do you? Anyway..." "OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "Detective Gumshoe, there is something strange I find in this photo." She presented the note from before. "According to this contents of this note, Valerie was to, and I quote, 'Wear white scarf for identification'. I assumed Mr. Fawles had forgotten the victim's face, otherwise this request would not be needed. So then, where is the white scarf in the photo?"

"Well," Gumshoe said, "We never found it in the trunk..." Mia slapped her hands against the desk. "And you stopped there!? Mr. Edgeworth, you should discipline your subordinates more! Clearly they should have made a more thorough search for the scarf!" "She has a point, Mr. Edgeworth," the judge said as he banged his gavel to calm the courtroom down. Edgeworth sighed. "Well, perhaps. But don't think that it wasn't searched for completely." He brought a mud-stained scarf out from his bench. Gumshoe became flabbergasted. "Where did you find that, sir?

"At Dusky Bridge, of course," Edgeworth said, "As I was the first one there, I decided to do my own investigation. I grant you it's not exactly 'white' but I suppose it was close enough for what the caller intended." Mello bit into his chocolate. "It's bad court procedure not to share all evidence with the defense. Looks bad for the public." "Well, regardless," the judge said, "It appears we have our scarf. It shall be added to the Court Record." "Admittedly, a good showing to start with, Ms. Fey," Edgeworth said, "For a beginner that is." _'You're a beginner yourself, you smarmy little...,'_ Mia thought to herself. "Perhaps the next piece of testimony," Edgeworth said, "Will prove more decisively that Ms. Hawthorne and Mr. Fawles met on the bridge that day."

Gumshoe took out another photograph. "This was taken at the crime scene by a third party." The judge took a look at it. It showed a woman in a white jacket, presumably the victim, talking with the defendant on the bridge. The woman was clearly wearing a white scarf. "Just looking at the picture," the judge said, "You get the sense that the bridge was very high up." Edgeworth nodded. "It's approximately 40 feet from the bridge to the river below." "Gumshoe mentioned the photo was taken by third person," Mia said, "Making that person a potential witness. So why aren't they here now?" "They said they would prefer not to," Edgeworth said, "The person in question is very delicate."

_'Very delicate?,'_ Mia thought, _'Or very detrimental to your case?'_ "Well," the judge said, "Unless we see reason otherwise, we can go off the photo alone for now. Let's have this added to the Court Record. Now then Detective Gumshoe, your testimony please." Gumshoe nodded. "Actually, there's an eyewitness who was there when the incident took place. This photo was accidentally taken by the witness. It shows her wearing the scarf, sir. It was drizzling that day; unfortunately, it's a little hard to see what's going on. Anyway, the criminal shoved the victim down from behind and stabbed her in the back!" "OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "At the time of the murder, there was a light drizzle, correct?"

"Yeah, pal," Gumshoe said, "It was pretty foggy too." "Well then," Mia said as she held up the photo of the victim's body, "I have something interesting resting in this photo that contradicts you testimony." She pointed to the victim's chest. "TAKE THAT! Considering how it was drizzling on the day, I'd imagine Dusky Bridge was all wet and muddy from the rain. Yet Ms. Hawthorne's coat is completely clean, something that shouldn't be possible if she was pushed down from behind!" "OBJECTION!," Edgeworth called out, "Granted the crime scene was quite wet that day, but that doesn't mean the top of the bridge was muddy!"

Mia calmly flicked her hair aside. "Nice try 'genius' but you've already provided the proof that there was mud on the bridge that day." Mia took out the muddy scarf. "TAKE THAT! Needless to say, if the scarf had fallen on the bridge and gotten this muddy, then there had to have been mud on the bridge to begin with!" Edgeworth was flabbergasted. "I... won't let myself be outwitted by some novice bimbo..." Mello smirked as he bit into his chocolate. "You know, Edgeworth, if I didn't know any better, I'd swear you were TRYING to get the defendant found guilty at any cost, rather than trying to find the truth of this case. So tell me, was it that fact that a criminal got away under your nose that day, or just the fact that she fired a gun at you?" Clearly Mello had struck a nerve, because Edgeworth became even more flabbergasted.

"Well," he said, finally calming down, "Clearly we have a contradiction of facts here, but let's look at where the contradiction comes from." "Well, here's my thoughts on that," Diego said as sipped more of his coffee, "Every time there's a contradiction, it all stems from a lie, no matter how small that lie is. So where does the lie come from? Here there are three places it could be; either the victim found in the trunk, the witness's photo showing the victim and the defendant, or the witness's testimony stating she saw the moment of the murder. One of these three things... Is a piece of false evidence." "Hmph," the judge said, "I don't appreciate false evidence in this courtroom, Mr. Edgeworth. It's even worse than conjecture."

"Well," Edgeworth said calmly, "Do you even know what this so-called 'false evidence' is?" "I think I know pretty clearly," Mia said, "It's really a no-brainer when you think about. The only suspicious piece of evidence so far is the witness! Detective Gumshoe stated a crucial fact, and I quote, 'The criminal shoved the victim down from behind and stabbed her in the back.' So tell me, Mr. Edgeworth, is that what the witness claims to have seen? Because if it is, then that testimony is full of holes. After all, the victim's coat is perfectly clean." Mello smiled as took out another chocolate bar. "Some decisive witness. Guess you let all that potential fail you, Edgeworth."

Diego nodded. "Well, if he really had a decisive witness, the boy wonder there would have called them in the first place!" "Your Honor," Mia said, "The defense requests the chance to cross-examine the prosecution's witness. The testimony presented is more than more than vague, it's got more holes than Swiss cheese!" "Agreed," the judge said, "Looks like we'll need to hear from your mystery witness after all, Mr. Edgeworth." Edgeworth sighed. "So be it, but I hope you're ready to face the truth this witness has to offer, Ms. Fey. The prosecution summons the woman who saw the events that day with her very own eyes." Into the courtroom walked a very young woman in her early twenties. She was wearing a long pink dress with a clear shawl and carried a frilly pink umbrella. Her red hair had two braids going back across her head from her temples, and the rest of it came down to her waist.

"Will the witness please state her name and occupation?," Edgeworth said. "Melissa Foster...," the woman said in a gentle voice, "I'm a college student..." She seemed a bit nervous on the stand. "I'm sorry, this is my first time, and I'm afraid I may make some mistakes." Edgeworth sighed. "Well, as I said earlier, the witness is rather delicate and sensitive. The court should exercise caution when addressing her." "You hear that, Mia," Mello said, "I'd make sure I knew what I was doing before pressing her, or else the judge will make you pay for it. Let's see if can't break this girl's testimony without the prosecution coming down our throats."

"Ms. Foster," Edgeworth said, "You were on the scene when the incident occurred, correct?" "You were also the one who took this photo, I believe," Mia said. Melissa seemed to shrink back. "How could you say something so mean?" Mia's eyebrow twitched. "I was only asking a simple question to confirm a few facts, that's all." Mello snickered. "Maybe you should have prepared her better, Edgeworth. No offense to the young lady, but she's a little too jumpy." Melissa stared at Mia for a second. "I'm sorry... You were...?" "Mia Fey," Mia said, "The defense attorney for this trial." For a second, Mello thought he saw a flash of recognition go across Melissa's eyes.

"Well then, Ms. Foster," the judge said, "Perhaps you could start by showing us where you were at the time of the murder." Melissa was shown the map of Eagle River. She seemed to hesitate for a second, then pointed to a spot near the cliffside on the map. "Right about here... I think... There's a beautiful field there surrounded by the tall cliffs. That's where I took the photo from. I even brought the camera I was using at the time, like Mr. Edgeworth asked." She showed the bright pink camera, which included a tripod. "I see," the judge said, "We'll have this camera added to the Court Record. You may begin your testimony now Ms. Foster." Melissa nodded. "I... I was using my camera to take some pictures of wild flowers. Then I noticed there were two people standing up on the suspension bridge. Suddenly, they just started fighting! That's when I hurried and took the photo that shows the crucial moment."

"OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "You were referring to this picture here, yes?" She held up the photo of the victim and defendant on the bridge. "All I can see is the two of them facing each other. Hardly a 'crucial moment'. After all, you did just testify that they had been fighting. So, Ms. Foster, why haven't you shown us a picture of them fighting?" "That photo is the only one there was," Edgeworth said. "Really," Mia said, "Then what happened after this? I'd think taking an actual picture of them fighting would be a more 'crucial moment' than just one of them standing near each other, so why hasn't the witness taken that picture?" The judge considered. "I'm afraid, young lady, that Ms. Fey has given a valid point."

Melissa started tearing up. "I'm sorry, Your Honor, but I had used up all the film from my camera. This photo was the last one." "Gee," Mello said, "That's a flimsy excuse. Sure, I'm betting the prosecution has already checked the rest of the film to be sure, but as Ms. Fey said, two people fighting is a far more crucial moment to them just standing around. Speaking of, what DID the other photos contain?" "Just the witness herself," Edgeworth said, "It seems her camera has a built-in timer function, which she used to take pictures of herself playing among the wildflowers." "Well, regardless," the judge said, "The defense has brought a valid point to light. Ms. Foster should have made better judgement when taking that last photo, assuming she knew it would be the last one."

"Then perhaps," Edgeworth said, "It would be best if the witness testify as to what she saw with her own eyes, rather her camera." "Alright," Melissa said, "The victim turned around and tried to run away, but... She only got about 10 yards before she was stabbed in the back." "OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "There's a small problem with your testimony just now. A short testimony, and already you've made two contradictions. Take a look at the map of the bridge." She pulled out the map. "We know the victim and the killer were standing at the marked locations, but take a good look at what's behind the victim." On the map, behind the victim marker, the bridge was missing a large portion of itself. "Needless to say, if the victim had turned and tried to run, they would've have hit a dead-end."

"OBJECTION!," Edgeworth called out, "Your Honor, allow me to apologize for the confusion. There is a small mistake in this diagram. The bridge is indeed in disarray in the diagram, but it's also one we had to make ourselves, since we couldn't find an older one. Note that it's impossible to tell the status of the bridge in this photo." "There's actually a reason for that," Mello said, "According to the people who live in the area, whom I've talked to personally, that bridge is collapsing and getting repaired all the time due to repeated use. It's gotten to the point where making charts of the region is useless. Yours is probably the first one to be made in over five years. There's no way to prove the condition of the bridge two days ago, though the locals swore to me it was in the same condition as it is in the diagram here."

"Given that we have two conflicting stories on this," the judge said, "We'll have to go by what the locals know." "Lie or no lie," Edgeworth said, "The victim could still have turned around, spotted the dead-end, and been stabbed in the back by her killer. I suppose a new testimony is in order, one that will prove once and for all that is was the defendant who committed this foul deed." "Very well then," the judge said, "But young lady, I must warn you against any further lies in your testimony. As I told Edgeworth earlier, this courtroom only has room for facts, not conjecture and certainly not wild imaginings." Melissa nodded gently. "Okay... I'm sorry Your Honor, I guess I was just too eager to see such a bad man get locked away." "Just be sure to stick with facts," Edgeworth said, "And I'll see to it. Just tell us what you saw." Diego smirked. "Seems she's got them wrapped around her finger. Good thing you're here Kitten, or this would be over already." Mia nodded. "Well, Mello should also take some credit. He helped us dodge a serious bullet."

Melissa took a deep breath and began. "After he stabbed her in the back, he quickly picker her up in his arms. Then he carried her over to the car. I suppose that was the only way he could make sure the body stayed hidden." "OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "I wouldn't call it the _only_ way." "Huh?," Melissa said, "What do you mean?" "I can understand how a killer wouldn't want their victim to be found," Mia explained, "But it seems a little odd that they'd haul it back to their car when there's a much easier place to dump the body... Right into Eagle River! As Mr. Edgeworth pointed out earlier, most bodies that fall into the current are never recovered because it is so strong, as was the case with the kidnapping five years ago."

"I agree it's a little odd," the judge said, "Why wouldn't the killer have simply thrown the body over the bridge into the river?" "What does that matter, Your Honor?," Edgeworth said, "The point is that a murder did happen on that bridge, and for whatever reason the killer placed the body in the trunk of his car. This line of questioning is pointless." "Maybe, maybe not," Mia said, "But it _is_ a contradiction in the witness's testimony, and as a defense attorney I'm obligated to point it out. After all, the judge did warn Ms. Foster about lying in her testimony." "Very well then," Edgeworth said with a sigh, "I suppose Ms. Foster will simply have to amend her testimony."

"Alright," Melissa said, "The killer broke into the trunk of the stolen car and hid the body in there." "OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "Looks like you've made a very crucial mistake this time." Melissa looked confused. "You say you saw the killer break into the trunk of the stolen car and place the body in there," Mia said, "However, according to the diagram, and going from where you said you were standing, there is a rocky outcropping blocking your view. It would have been impossible to see anything behind it." "OBJECTION!," Edgeworth called out, "Granted the diagram does show a rocky outcropping, but there's no proof it goes so high that seeing over it is impossible."

Mia calmly flipped her hair aside. "Sorry, Edgeworth, but you won't be able to explain away this one. Because as it happens, there is proof. And Ms. Foster is the one who gave it to us." She held out the photo of the bridge. "Here you can clearly see the left side of the bridge. Viewed from this angle, that outcropping is more like a large cliff." She hit her hands against the bench. "This cliff should have completely obstructed your view, yet you claim to have been able to see the killer's car!" Melissa flinched, and for a second it looked as if her umbrella would fly out of her hands. "OBJECTION!," Edgeworth called out, "The murder was reported on the news several times. Ms. Foster must have heard about the stolen car and, quite upset from the story, convinced herself that she saw it."

"OBJECTION!," Mia said, "Ms. Foster was warned several times before starting her testimony to only mention what she saw with her own eyes!" "Well," Melissa said, "Perhaps I simply remembered things wrong... I'm sorry..." "Oh?," Mia said, "Then tell us, Ms. Foster. How did you even know that the killer broke into the trunk of the car?" "Well...," Melissa said, "There were marks on the trunk... I'm certain they were scratch marks from when he broke in." The judge looked at the photo of the trunk. "Yes, these do look like scratch marks near the keyhole. I'd say that satisfies things." Mia shook her head with a smile. "Not quite, Your Honor. There's one thing you're forgetting. Ms. Foster, you said you were in a field taking pictures, yet you knew about the scratches. However, when did you get the chance to see these scratches?"

Melissa seemed at a loss for words. Mello chuckled as he bit into his chocolate. "Well, Ms. Foster? We're waiting." Edgeworth cleared his throat. "Perhaps the defense has some idea as to when she saw the scratches?" "I do," Mia said, a smile across her face. She pointed straight at Melissa. "It was when she broke into the trunk and stuffed the body inside herself!" "N-No...," Melissa said, "That man in the prison garb, he..." "Wouldn't have needed to break into the trunk," Mia finished for her, "He already had the car keys, so he could have simply used them to open the trunk." Melissa was taken aback. "But... He stole the car...!" "He stole it from a young couple waiting at a red light," Mia said, "So the keys would have still been in the ignition."

Melissa started to shake, realizing the mistake she made. Mia pushed her hair aside again. "I have to thank you for pointing out the scratches, Ms. Foster, because now it's clear... Mr. Fawles couldn't have been the one to put the body in trunk!" "OBJECTION!," Edgeworth said, "This is preposterous! To even suggest this girl could have done such a thing! Then what about this photo she took!? The only time the body could have been put in the trunk is when the incident occurred, and she was taking photographs at that time." "I'm not so sure about that," Mia said with a confident smile, "After all, the shutter may not have been pushed by Ms. Foster herself."

She presented the camera. "TAKE THAT! You yourself said that the camera has a built-in timer function. Heck, it even has a mini-tripod. One would think this camera was used _just_ for the purpose of taking this one picture." "OBJECTION!," Edgeworth called out, "Are you really suggesting that Ms. Foster wasn't in the field at the time of the incident!?" "I am," Mia said, and she got out the diagram of the river. Pointing at the spot marked for the victim, she called out, "TAKE THAT! Ms. Foster was in fact right here!" "Hold on," the judge said, "That's where the victim was standing! What do you mean by this, Ms. Fey!?"

"Allow me to explain," Mia said, "After parting with the 'victim', Mr. Fawles fled the scene by car. But this would mean there wasn't time to put the victim in the trunk. This can only mean that someone had to have placed the body in trunk before the meeting!" "OBJECTION!," Edgeworth said, "But that meeting did take place, meaning the defendant was the only one with the opportunity to put the victim in the trunk!" "OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "I see you still don't get it, Edgeworth. By the time the witness's photo was taken, the victim was already dead... Which means the person in the photo is NOT Valerie Hawthorne!" "OBJECTION!," Edgeworth called out, "That's ridiculous! Then who is the 'victim' in the photo!?"

Mia smiled. "Isn't it obvious, 'genius'? It's the witness, Melissa Foster! I'd say that's the only real explanation to all these conflicting contradictions! Don't forget, it was rainy and foggy that day, to the point where a person's vision would be clouded. I'm sure Mr. Fawles believed the person in front of him was Ms. Hawthorne." "OBJECTION!," Edgeworth called out, "The defendant knew the victim well. She was the same person who got him convicted with her testimony five years ago." "OBJECION!," Mia called out, "Don't forget that Mr. Fawles spent those next five years in a federal penitentiary. He had long forgotten what the victim looked like."

"Now you're just making this up as you go along," Edgeworth said. "You'd like to believe that, wouldn't you?" Mia said, "But I have proof." She held up the victim's note. "TAKE THAT! In this note, Mr. Fawles asked for a piece of identification, specifically the muddy-scarf you found. So as long as they wore that scarf, anyone could have pretended to be Valerie Hawthorne! So, Melissa Foster, what do you have to say to that!?" Melissa shook for a bit, then she seemed to get blown back by a severe wind. After that, she fainted to the floor. After she was taken out of the courtroom by a bailiff. Mia started thinking to herself. _'I think it's pretty clear Melissa Foster is the _real _killer in this case, but the question is... Why?' _The judge banged his gavel. "Until Ms. Foster can compose herself, this trial is in recess. Both the defense and the prosecution will wait in their respective lobbies." He struck his gavel again.

To be continued...

**I know, I know, I revealed the true culprit early, but there's more to this mystery than that, I assure you. You'll find out next chapter, the final chapter for this case. Read and review.**


	6. Chapter 6: Turnabout Beginnings Part 2

**This is the final chapter of Turnabout Beginnings; short, huh? Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, Persona, or Ace Attorney.**

Chapter 6: Turnabout Beginnings Part 2

_February 16, 1:14 PM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 4_

"Thank you," Fawles said once they were back in the defendant lobby, "You really hooked me up there." "There's still the matter of Ms. Foster's motive," Mia said, "It's a big obstacle to get past." Mello offered Fawles some of his chocolate. "You look tense, this'll came you down." Fawles started munching away like it was his last meal. Diego smiled at Mia. "You did good there Kitten. I had a hunch from the beginning Melissa Foster isn't who she claims to be. Mello, that contact of yours give you any information." "Only what's already known about her," Mello said as he took out another chocolate bar, "Allegedly she's a 19-year-old freshman college student majoring in literature. That's all Ross could find."

Diego nodded. "Well, then, we'll have to find out more about this kidnapping case that happened five years ago. The one Zebra Boy over there got sent to death row for." "Sounds good," Mia said, "So Mr. Fawles, could you tell us about that day?" "Okay," Fawles said, "I've been dreaming of it, for the last five years. When I look at the picture of the bridge, it brings back memories. It hasn't changed... Still looks the same. I always thought, whenever I looked at it, that it could fall apart at any moment." "And the kidnapping that day?," Diego asked. "That part I did," Fawles admitted, "She was my girlfriend. Dahlia Hawthorne."

"Hawthorne!?," Mia said, "The same last name as the victim?" Fawles nodded. "Dahlia was Valerie's little sister." "And how did you get to know these two?," Mello asked. "At first," Fawles said, "I was just Dahlia's tutor. At the time, Valerie was just a rookie cop." Mia closed her eyes. "You know, I always thought shooting someone for a kidnapping was crossing the line, but hearing that it was Valerie's sister... So she was only protecting her." Fawles shook his head. "No, she wasn't doing it to protect Dahlia. Valerie... Betrayed us!" Mello blinked for a second. "Wait, 'us'? What do you mean." Fawles started gnawing the heavy iron ball in anguish again.

"Whole thing was a lie. The kidnapping, all of it. Dahlia... As we spent time together, she became the love of my life. I do anything she says..." Mia got it. "In other words, this whole kidnapping plot was actually Dahlia's idea. And you were a part of it." "Yes," Fawles said, a tear in his eye, "And Valerie too." That stunned the three of them. "Wow," Mello said, "So Dahlia suckered her big sister into this, huh?" Fawles nodded. "Dahlia's family is very rich, you see. In fact, her father is in the jewelry business. The idea was to get one jewel... Or so we thought..." Mello suddenly remembered the jewel that was included with the evidence III had sent him and went to get his bag.

"Me and Dahlia wrote the ransom note," Fawles continued, "And had it sent to her dad. The ransom was a rare, uncut diamond, worth 2 million dollars. The exchange was to be made on the Dusky Bridge. Valerie was to make the transfer because she was new in the police force." "Yeah," Diego said, "It's pretty handy having someone from the police force in your pocket. So you were planning on splitting the money three ways, huh?" "That was the plan...," Fawles said, "But then... She shoot me! She shoot me for real! I was shot in the arm, and then Dahlia jumped into the river."

"Wait a minute...," Mia said, "Are you saying she jumped into the river on purpose!?" Fawles was close to tears. "I could never push her myself! I loved her! Anyway, I blacked out from the blood loss... And woke up with police everywhere." "So they decided to give you the death sentence," Diego said, "Kinda harsh if you ask me." "I thought Valerie would clear it up," Fawles said, "Cause she saw what really happened... But she betrayed me! She told them _I_ pushed Dahlia over the bridge!" He started to tear up again. "These past five years... All I could think about is... Why? Why did she lie? So when a chance came for me to escape... I took it... And decided to get the answer from her." "I get it," Diego said, "That's why you called Valerie, to get it straight from the horse's mouth."

"But after five years," Mia said, "You had forgotten her face, which is why you asked her to wear the white scarf." Fawles nodded. "I didn't want to hurt her. Just wanted to know why? I wanted to hear it from her." "That just leaves one final detail," Diego said, "What happened to the diamond?" "I dunno," Fawles said, "Didn't forget... Just... Don't know. It's gone... With Dahlia... See, she put the diamond in her backpack. So when she went over the bridge..." "She took the diamond with her," Mia realized. Fawles nodded. "Now it's disappeared into Eagle River forever. Along with her. They never found her, or the diamond. They're both gone..."

"Not as much as you might think," Mello said, "Is this the diamond?" He held out the bright pink gemstone. Fawles was flabbergasted. "That's it! Where did you find it!?" "L found it," Mello said, "And there's something interesting you guys should know about Dahlia. From L's research, it seemed Dahlia was a champion swimmer. Thinking even the current of Eagle River would prove little more than a small challenge, and knowing there were spots along the current where a living person could pull themselves out, L started checking all the pawn shops until he found it. He even found the receipt. And take a look at the name on the receipt." Mia looked at the slip of paper. "Melissa Foster! Mello this is perfect!" At that moment, the intercom came on announcing the trial's restart. "Now we have a few more aces up our sleeve," Diego said as they all left the defendant lobby.

* * *

_February 16, 1:49 PM_

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 4_

Once everyone was back in their place, the judge banged his gavel to start the proceedings. "Court will now reconvene for the trial of Terry Fawles. I trust the witness is feeling better." Melissa once again stood at the witness stand, looking a little shaky. "Y-Yes, You Honor... I'm sorry for earlier." Edgeworth gave a quick smirk. "I can understand a defense attorney wanting to get their client off the hook, and admittedly finding the true guilty party, should one exist, is a great way of doing that. But to try pinning the blame on an innocent student... It's not as if she's the one on trial here. She's simply an innocent bystander who witnessed a violent crime. What possible reason could she have for killing a policewoman?"

Mia smiled. "I had a feeling you'd ask that question. But why don't we hear what the witness has to say about all this?" The judge nodded. "Agreed. Young lady, I believe this is as a good a time as any for you to explain yourself." "A-Alright," Melissa said, "I'll try..." She took a deep breath. "I... I was out of the country until the year before last. Until I entered college, I had never even been to Eagle Mountain before... And I certainly don't have any reason for wanting to hurt a police officer. Holding a grudge and killing the officer who testified against you five years ago..." "HOLD IT!," Mia called out, "What do you mean by grudge?"

"Well," Melissa said, "It was the policewoman's testimony that sentenced that awful man to death." "Indeed," Edgeworth said, "I'd say that's reason enough for a grudge. So much anger he forgot his own guilt..." "OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "My client has always maintained his innocence in that regard." "Your client seems rather forgetful," Melissa said, "I mean, he'd forgotten all about that policewoman." Mia seemed interested in that last statement. "How do you mean?" "Well," Melissa replied, "He had forgotten Ms. Hawthorne's face, at least. But apparently he didn't forget about her testimony." "Hold on," Mia said, "How do you know Mr. Fawles had forgotten what the victim looked like?" Melissa looked bewildered. "Isn't that the reason he needed some form of identification?"

"We've already been over that," Edgeworth said, "The note said for Ms. Hawthorne to wear a scarf to identify herself." "Right," Melissa said, "I guess I'm lucky I wasn't wearing a white scarf." "OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "Witness, take a look at the photo of the bridge you took. Specifically, the scarf the victim is wearing in it." She then took out the muddy scarf, and Melissa called out, "That's it! That's the scarf the policewoman was wearing!" "Funny," Mia said, "Even the prosecution has admitted that this scarf isn't exactly 'white', and you just said, and I quote, 'I'm lucky I wasn't wearing a white scarf.' Yet you just identified this scarf as the one worn by the victim."

"OBJECTION!," Edgeworth called out, "Don't forget there was rain and fog that day. It would have been hard to see clearly." "OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "Sorry, Edgeworth, but not this time. The witness just confirmed this was the victim's scarf!" "That's true," the judge said, "But why the mix-up?" "There's a very good reason for that, Your Honor," Mia said. She held out the note again. "TAKE THAT! Ms. Foster, have you ever seen this note before?" Melissa seemed to grow nervous. "Not... Really..." "Well, it is top-secret evidence," the judge admitted, "There's no reason for her to have seen it." Mia calmly pushed her hair aside. "I'm not so sure about that, Your Honor. This note contains Mr. Fawles instructions for the meeting, including having the victim wear a white scarf to identify herself with."

Edgeworth became flabbergasted, realizing what Mia was getting at. "Witness," Mia said, "You had to have known what the note said! How else could you have mistaken the scarf's color!?" Melissa looked as if she was blown back again. The judge banged his gavel to calm down the courtroom. "Mr. Edgeworth, can you explain this." Edgeworth looked frazzled. "I'm... I'm certain the contents of this note were not leaked, Your Honor." "Yet the witness knew exactly what it said," Mia pointed out, "At the time it was written, the number of people who knew its contents were, shall we say, limited. There was Terry Fawles, who gave the instructions written in the note, Valerie Hawthorne, who wrote it herself, and one final person."

"One more," the judge said, "Who could that have been?" Diego calmly sipped his coffee. "Someone I don't think anyone could have expected." "And what a surprise it is," Mia said, "None other... Then Dahlia Hawthorne." "Hmm," the judge said, "That's a name I haven't heard before." "Well, her name is in the note," Mia said, "I noticed it earlier, but at the time I didn't know what it meant. The note said to 'Talk to Dahlia. Tell her this time...'" "I see," the judge said, "I guess I must have missed that part. But just who is Dahlia?" Edgeworth sighed. "She was the victim of the kidnapping case five years ago, and the victim's younger sister."

"OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "You say she was 'killed', but tell me something, Mr. Edgeworth, how do you know for sure?" Edgeworth raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" "Well," Mia said, "Everyone thought Dahlia had died when she fell off the Dusky Bridge and into the Eagle River. But her corpse was never found." "OBJECTION!," Edgeworth said, "Dahlia Hawthorne was declared legally dead five years ago." "OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "Legally or not, her body was never recovered. Dahlia was 14 years of age at the time of the kidnapping five years ago. If she was still alive, she'd be 19 now. Now if I'm not mistaken, that's the same age as the witness, Melissa Foster."

Melissa shrunk back. "OBJECTION!," Edgeworth called out, "Ms. Fey, you can't really be saying...!" Mia smirked. "That's exactly what I'm saying. This 'witness' is in fact that same girl who was kidnapped and supposedly killed five years ago... Dahlia Hawthorne!" The whole courtroom was shocked to hear that statement. Out of the corner of his eye, Mello saw Fawles stare at the girl in disbelief. Edgeworth sighed in frustration. "Well, I didn't think it'd come to this, but the defense has forced my hand. I don't know how Ms. Fey found out about this, but I must confess she's absolutely right." "I get it," Mia said, "You've already run a background check on her."

"Our department isn't full of fools, Ms. Fey," Edgeworth said, "Running background checks on all of our witnesses is standard procedure." _'He knew all along,' _Mia thought to herself, _'But wouldn't have revealed her true identity since all he needed from her was her testimony. Alright Mia, here's where the real battle _really _begins.'_ "I imagine it must have been a shock for the department," Mello said, "A girl supposedly dead for five years, suddenly popping up as a witness to a murder." "Indeed, and that brings me back to an earlier point," Edgeworth said, "This girl was kidnapped and nearly killed five years ago, and now here we are five years later and she finds herself an accidental witness to her sister's murder. And the defense wants this court to believe this girl is capable of murder?"

Mia smiled. "Don't think I wouldn't make these accusations without some form of proof. And the note written by the victim is the key. After Mr. Fawles escaped from prison, he made a call to the victim saying he wanted to meet. It says, 'Talk to Dahlia. Tell her this time, the whole truth must come out.' After that, Valerie made a call of her own... To Dahlia. She said she would reveal everything about that day to the world. You see, there was a dangerously important secret between the two of them. That's why Dahlia had to kill her sister... To keep her quite permanently!" "OBJECTION!," Edgeworth said, "A delightful piece of fiction, but where's the evidence?"

"Why not ask Dahlia herself?," Mia asked, "Your Honor, the defense requests that the witness testify about her involvement in the kidnapping case five years ago. I think we've more than established the connection by this point. I believe this testimony will help bring out the secret I speak of." "Very well, Ms. Fey," the judge said, "Request granted. The witness will give testimony about the kidnapping five years ago." Edgeworth shrugged. "This will only serve to prove my point, that the witness could not have possibly committed this murder." _'That's what you think, Edgeworth,'_ Mia thought, _'But the people on this side of the courtroom know the real truth behind that kidnapping.'_

Dahlia took a few deep breaths, then began. "Five years ago, I was kidnapped by Mr. Fawles. The ransom price was a raw diamond. My sister, Valerie, brought it to the the bridge... After she made the exchange, she shot Mr. Fawles in the arm! That's when Mr. Fawles tried to kill me by shoving me off the bridge from behind!" "OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "Hate to say it, but something like that is rather impossible. If things really happened as you say, then you wouldn't be here right now. Just take a look at the diagram." She pointed to the area behind the bridge. "That bridge hasn't changed much in the last five years, and right behind it is a layer of bedrock. If you had been shoved there as you claimed, rather than be carried away by the current, you would have been smashed to pieces."

"OBJECTION!," Edgeworth said, "This happened five years ago, and as Mello pointed out the locals haven't made any charts due to how the bridge is always getting repaired. For all we know the water level could have been higher back then." "OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "It's a forty-foot drop from the bridge to river. A small change in the water level wouldn't have made a difference." Edgeworth flinched, realizing she had a point. "Indeed," the judge said, "If events occurred as testified, the defendant couldn't have pushed the witness into the river. Ms. Hawthorne, what is the meaning of this?" Dahlia was at a loss for words.

"OBJECTION!," Edgeworth called out, "I'd like to point out that the witness never stated that she fell from the back end of the bridge, only that she fell into the river. It's likely that after being shot, the defendant panicked and pushed her over the side of the bridge." "Yes," Dahlia said, "Now that you mention it, I guess that must have happened. I'm sorry, it has been five years after all." "There you have it," Edgeworth said, "I suppose this is the end of Ms. Fey's assault." "OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "Far from it. While I admit it's possible my client could have panicked after being shot, the fact that he could have shoved the witness off the side of the bridge is also impossible."

"Ridiculous," Edgeworth said, "How is that impossible?" "It contradicts the Court Record," Mia said, and she brought out the photo of the bridge. "TAKE THAT! As this picture shows, there are heavy wires supporting both sides of the bridge, extending about five feet off the base. Simply pushing someone off the side would have been impossible!" "OBJECTION!," Edgeworth called out, "Let's remember the size and strength of the defendant! Even with the wires in place, he could have easily picked up a 14-year-old girl and thrown her over!" "OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "So young, yet so forgetful. And they call you a genius? Mr. Fawles had been shot in the right arm, and Valerie Hawthorne's gun was still trained on him... At point-blank range no less."

"That's true," the judge said, "Panicked or not, he wouldn't have risked something like that. But then, what does it boil down to?" "I should think that's obvious," Mia said, "Dahlia Hawthorne jumped into the river intentionally!" "OBJECTION!," Edgeworth called out, "What do you mean by such a ridiculous remark!?" "That's right," Dahlia said, "My sister was there to protect me, after all. Going over the bridge would have been suicide." "OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "Suicide or not, the fact is that's exactly what you did, and with good reason too." "OBJECTION!," Edgeworth called out, "What possible reason could she have for doing such an act?"

"Easy," Mia said, "The very fact that our witness is still alive explains everything." She got out the diamond Mello had received. "TAKE THAT! Five years ago, something else disappeared along with Dahlia, this very diamond. As the witness stated, it was the ransom for the kidnapping. Apparently, it's worth 2 million dollars in total." The flash of recognition across Dahlia's face felt very satisfying to Mia. She knew she was on a roll now. Edgeworth was baffled. "Where on earth did you find that!?" "L found it," Mello said, "He was investigating the kidnapping case in the months before he learned of the Kira case. He began his search for it after learning how skilled Ms. Hawthorne is at swimming. He even saved the pawn shop receipt."

The judge took a look at the receipt. "Hold on, the name on here is Melissa Foster. That's the alias the witness was using until a few moments ago! But... Is the defense really saying saying...?" Mia nodded. "Yes, Your Honor, this whole kidnapping plot was, in fact, planned out by Dahlia herself, and Terry Fawles was just an accomplice. Dahlia had the diamond on her that day, stashed away in her backpack. At the last minute, when Valerie fired, Dahlia jumped into the river, planning to keep all the money for herself!" Dahlia's face suddenly turned dark. "OBJECTION!," Edgeworth called out, "The witness was just 14 at that time! Do you really expect us to believe she's capable of such a demonic plan!?"

"Why not?," Mello said, "L believed it He would have found out the entire plot, too, if criminals hadn't started dying of sudden and inexplicable heart attacks." "And it wasn't just Mr. Fawles helping on that day," Mia said, "There was a third person helping Dahlia... Her sister, Valerie Hawthorne!" "OBJECTION!," Edgeworth called out, "But she was a police detective! Are you really saying she had participated in her own sister's kidnapping!?" "That's exactly what I'm saying," Mia said, "And no doubt it had weighed heavily on her conscience for the past five years. So when Mr. Fawles called her, she then called Dahlia, and told her what she was planning to do." Edgeworth started to realize what was going on. "She intended to tell the whole truth of the matter... Just like she wrote in her note!"

"And that's when Dahlia hatched this little scheme," Mia said, "She had planned to make sure both of her accomplices would stay silent forever." Dahlia started giggling darkly. "Well now, Ms. Mia Fey, I'm impressed. Quite a tale you've told, and you've even presented the evidence to back it up. My mistake, I suppose, for pawning that rock off the second I got back to civilization. I mean, I probably could have gotten away with keeping it on me for a while longer, since everyone thought I was dead. But so far you've only proving that the kidnapping was faked... What about the murder?" _'Uh-oh,'_ Mia thought, _'She's got me there. So far my accusations against her killing Valerie are circumstantial, and the argument can still be made that Mr. Fawles killed Valerie for revenge.'_

Just then she had an idea. "I may not have decisive evidence that you killed Valerie... Yet. But in absence of evidence, there's always testimony. And there's still one person involved with this case that hasn't had the chance to testify yet. Your Honor, the defense requests that the defendant, Terry Fawles, take the stand to testify as to his actions that day." Edgeworth raised an eyebrow. "The defendant...?" Mia nodded. "He's the only one who can shed some new light on this case. He knew about Dahlia's true role in the kidnapping five years ago, and he could tell for sure if the person he met that day was Valerie Hawthorne, if not from her face then from her voice."

The judge nodded. "Does the prosecution have any objections?" "None Your Honor," Edgeworth said, "Personally I think it's high time we heard what the defendant has to say for himself anyway." "Very well then," the judge said, "Bailiff, have the defendant brought to the witness stand." Fawles was escorted from his seat to the stand. "I assume you've heard everything that's been said so far?," the judge asked. Fawles nodded weakly, and Mello could tell he was having a hard time believing all of this. _'Poor guy... Doesn't even realize he was used for 2 mil. Guess we'll have to let him know the hard way.'_ "Is there something wrong, Mr. Fawles?," the judge asked, seeing Fawles on the verge of tears.

"Five years ago...," Fawles said weakly, "We made a promise... To never, ever betray each other..." "Terry," came Dahlia's voice. Mello turned to see she was still in the courtroom. "What's wrong, Terry? Don't tell me you can't trust me anymore?" Mello smirked as he bit into his chocolate. "Jeez, lady. You flip your personality more times than a pancake." Dahlia smiled. "Don't mind him, Terry. Just remember, my life is in your hands now." She gave Fawles her sweetest smile. _'And people say my chocolate gives you cavities,' _Mello thought. "If we can get on with this trial," the judge said, "Mr. Fawles, yours will be the last testimony of this trial."

Fawles started to scratch his throat. "Can I... Can I have some water before I begin please...?" Diego shrugged. "Poor guy must be nervous from all this. Here big guy, you can have the rest of my coffee." He walked over to the witness stand and handed Fawles the cup. Fawles took his time drinking it down. "Thank you," Fawles said, "I feel better now." He cleared his throat one last time. "That day... 4 PM... I stopped the car. I was in front of the bridge... She wasn't there... So, I waited on the bridge. I watched my car from the bridge. I never put no body in that car! Finally, one woman came. She stood in front of me."

"OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "Are you saying that when you arrived, no one else was there?" Fawles nodded. "Well," Mia said, "I'm afraid that there's a slight problem with that." Fawles seemed to be holding his mouth for some reason. "Is that right?," Edgeworth said, "And what is your rationale this time?" "Simple," Mia said, "Just look at the photo taking by your witness. The one who arrived first would be the one standing at the end of the bridge, correct? Yet it's the victim, not the defendant, who is standing there, which means Mr. Fawles would have had to arrive after she did." Fawles seemed to hesitate for a second, then said, "I wasn't lying when I said I got there at 4 o'clock, but there was someplace I had to go nearby... Someplace special."

"And did you go to this special place before you headed for the bridge?," the judge asked. Fawles nodded. "It's an old temple, about 15 minutes or so from the bridge. I think Mr. Mello knows of it." "Yeah," Mello admitted, "It's where I got all my information about the region." "Five years ago," Fawles said sadly, "Me and Dahlia... We promised each other... Swore to never betray each other... She brought a memento to represent the love we shared. I hid it there, under the base of a tree." He pulled on the gold chain around his neck to reveal it contained some sort of heart-shaped pendant with a small bottle in the center. "This is what I went to get. It holds my fondest memories."

"Your Honor," Mia said, "If Mr. Fawles did go to get this little memento, that means he left his car unattended for approximately 30 minutes. That's more than enough time for Dahlia to hide the body in the trunk of the car!" "So it would seem," the judge said. But before they could go any further, Fawles gave a great cough, and blood started dripping from his lips. "That's enough... Please... I made a promise... With her... That if it ever came to a point that we couldn't trust each other... We would drink from the bottle..." Edgeworth quickly realized what was going on. "No! Stop the trial immediately!"

A small tear fell from Fawles' eye. "I... Was stupid... I couldn't keep... My promise... I'm sorry... Mia, Mello, Diego... I know you tried your hardest... But I can't... Trust myself... Thanks... For the coffee..." And with that, Fawles collapsed in the witness stand, dead. The heavy iron ball fell from his hands and impacted on the floor of the courtroom. Mello looked to where Dahlia had been, only to find the courtroom door swinging slightly. "Damn," Mello said, "The little demon lady ran for it." "What she did... What she has done," Diego said, "That's unforgivable. We were so close to the truth."

Before Mia's eyes, Diego grasped his coffee cup... And shattered it in his hand. Mia quickly undid her scarf to help stop the bleeding. "Thanks Mia," Diego said. "Sure," Mia said, "But don't worry, this is far from over. Mello said you work with III, right?" Diego smiled. "Yeah, with their help, we'll have her brought to justice. There's more than enough muscle for us to use." The two of them walked out of the courtroom. "So then," Diego said, "What's say we relax at my favorite cafe? We need to rest ourselves up for the big hunt." Mia blushed as she nodded. "Sure. But, does this mean..." "Well," Diego said, "It may not be the best time for a first date, but since we'll be working together anyway." Even through her smile, Mia thought to herself, _'This is far from over... Dahlia Hawthorne.'_

Next case: Turnabout Memories

**Don't worry, this trend of bad guys getting away won't last, by a long shot. A new case will be up next chapter, so read and review.**


	7. Chapter 7: Turnabout Memories Part 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, Persona, or Ace Attorney.**

Chapter 7: Turnabout Memories Part 1

_April 10, 2013_

Near finished reading up on the case file Mello had sent him. Near was in late teen years, and anyone who knew L would think Near looked like a miniature version of the great detective, with the exception that Near's hair was almost pure white. _'It's been almost three months since we closed the Kira case,'_ Near thought to himself, _'And now III is considered one of the world's foremost group of investigators in the world. Before L's return, Light Yagami had posed as him one final time to have a bunch of new laws passed in an effort to stem the inevitable tide of crime that would occur in Kira's absence. For the most part it worked, and most lesser crimes have all been wiped out. But there's still a rise in more violent crimes.'_

He placed a small hand-carved finger puppet on the desk in front of him. The puppet was of a young girl with red hair that was braided in a distinct fashion. _'Dahlia Hawthorne... When that name came up as a witness in a murder case in Los Angeles, Mello immediately faxed me all the information there was on her. She's already wanted for the murder of her sister, Valerie. And now it seems she's come out of hiding in a most unusual manner.'_ He held two more finger puppets, one of a person in a prison garb, another with a distinctive spiky hairdo. _'Ms. Hawthorne... You have a talent for luring men into your web like a spider with flies. But there's one person who knows the true demon behind that sweet little smile.'_ He placed another puppet on the desk to the first one. This one was of a young woman in a business suit.

* * *

_April 11, 9:40 AM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 3_

Mia wasn't sure what to make of the young man crouching in one of the chairs at the table inside the defendant lobby. "So," she said, "You said your name was Near...?" Near nodded. "You're probably wondering where Mello is. Right now he has another case, so he decided to fax me the information on this one. I know you two have worked closely together up until several months ago." "Yeah, I was wondering about that," Mia said, "Where did Mello disappear to after that incident in the courtroom library?" "He decided to help put the Kira case to rest," Near said, "Although his methods were... Less than desirable. Still, we got the job done, and now III can move on to other matters." He held up the finger puppet of the spiky-haired kid. "Matters, for instance, like the case of your young client."

"Well now," came a deep but jovial voice, "Rather intense, this young man, isn't he?" Mia turned around to see her boss, Marvin Grossberg. Grossberg was a rather corpulent individual of middle-age. He wore a bright red business suit, and his graying hair seemed to be a larger version of his impressive mustache. He adjusted his tiny reading glasses as he approached the two. "You must be Near, then," Grossberg said, "I got the call from III just yesterday. But why the finger puppets?" Near smiled. "You know what they say about idle hands. I try to keep mine occupied as often as possible." Grossberg nodded, then he turned to Mia.

"I hope you're up to this Mia. I know this is your second time in court, and you're eager to make up for the mistakes that occurred in your first trial over a year ago." Mia nodded. "I know sir. I was a little too soft, and it cost my client his life. But things are different. Though personally, I was hoping Mello would be the one assisting, since we worked together during my first trial." "I was wondering about that," Grossberg said, "When you heard about the case you immediately wanted to take it on yourself. To be honest, it surprised me. None of us thought you'd ever want to defend in court again after that day." Mia shook her head. "It wasn't about not wanting to. It was about not being able to. That case over a year ago had been left unclosed after the sudden turn it took at the end. The defendant had killed himself and the real guilty party had made their getaway."

"Apparently," Near said, "Mia had spent the last year trying to track down that individual. But now, there's been a new development. And that's why Mia wanted this case so bad." Grossberg seemed interested. "Is that right? But what is this new development?" "If we can get to that point," Mia said, "You'll understand. By the way, I haven't even met the client yet. Where is he?" Near pointed to a nervous looking young man in the corner of the room. He was wearing blue jeans and a pink sweater with red in the center, which had a bright yellow letter "P" in upper-case. His hair was jet black and spiked out in a fashion reminiscent of bird's wings. There was a medical mask covering his mouth.

The young man sniffled and said, "Good morning." "Good morning," Mia said, "My name is Mia Fey, and I'm here as your defense attorney. Don't worry, I'll make sure you're acquitted in this case, you just have to trust me." The young man nodded, then began sneezing uncontrollably. "Poor kid's suffering from a cold," Near said as he fiddled with his hair, "It's been going on since before the incident. Luckily, the court was kind enough to buy some medicine for him." "I see," Mia said. She turned to the young man. "Your name is... Wright, correct." The young man nodded. "Yep, Phoenix Wright. Cool name, huh? Oh, and sorry about the mask. Doctor says I can't go spreading my cold around, especially in a court of law."

Near looked over to Mia. "There's a mixed look in your eye, both confidence and nervousness." "Well," Mia said, "Granted it's been a while since I set foot in a courtroom, but I've learned a lot from my mistakes that day." Mia left her mind drift back to that time. _'What a time it's been. Despite my first case leaving a lasting scar on my soul, I've worked hard to overcome it. With Diego there to help, I felt I could recover...That is, until _she _interfered. I guess she realized how close we were getting. Her actions nearly cost Diego his life... As it is he's still comatose. Somehow she was able to elude police suspicion. She has a bad habit of doing that. But if I play my cards right, I might be able to finally deliver her the justice she deserves.'_ At that moment, the intercom came in announcing the start of trial. The four of them headed out for the courtroom.

* * *

_April 11, 10:00 AM_

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 2_

Mia, Grossberg, and Near took their places at the Defense's Bench. Across from them, at the Prosecutor's Bench, was a man named Winston Payne. Payne was a man somewhere in his thirties or so, wearing a bright green business suit and thick glass. His black hair stuck out in front of him in an odd shape. Near took a look at the judge and recognized him as the same judge L had encountered almost two years ago. The judge banged his gavel to get the courts attention. "Order now. Court is in session for the trial of Phoenix Wright." Once both defense and prosecution confirmed they were ready, the judge looked over to the defense's side.

"You said your name was... Mia Fey, correct? I was under the impression that Marvin Grossberg would be leading the defense." "Sorry, Your Honor," Mia said, "I asked to take over at the last minute." "Don't think she's not ready for this just because she's a rookie, Your Honor," Near said, "She's been in court before." The judge nodded. "Not to worry, I know from experience that even a rookie can have the skills of a professional. In any event, let us proceed with the trial. Mr. Payne, your opening statement please." Payne smirked. "Well, well. A veteran like myself has to play baby-sitter to a new defense attorney. Don't worry, it'll all be over soon."

Mia sighed. "Just get on with it." "Fine," Payne said, "Now then, I'd like to start with a quick summary of events on the day in question. The incident occurred on the ground of Ivy University. The victim was a student at the university named Doug Swallow, a fourth year Pharmacology student. Here is a photo taken of the crime scene." The photo showed the victim lying on the ground. Above him was what looked like a snapped power cable, and there was an umbrella lying a few feet away from him. "Several students discovered the scene shortly after the murder. They found the defendant at the scene as well. Obviously he bungled his getaway. Shortly after that the police were called."

"It does make the defendant look suspicious, I admit," the judge, "But there's always two sides to every story. Having said that, the court will accept this photo into the Court Record. There is one thing that puzzles me, though. It's difficult to tell how the victim died just by looked at this photo." "Well," Payne said, "There's a reason for that. You see the victim died a rather unusual death." "Quite so," Near said, holding up a finger puppet that resembled the victim, "Our Mr. Swallow had a very bad run in with nature's greatest weapon. This weapon is what caused his death... By electrocution." Payne cleared his throat. "I... I see the defense has chosen to garner some help from III... Not it that it will do much good."

"Don't be so sure Mr. Payne," the judge said, "I've met with a member of III before. They don't let just anyone join their ranks. Regardless, that explains the cause of death. I expect we'll get the full details during the course of the trial. However, there's one other thing that needs to be established... The defendant's motive." "Sorry, Your Honor, I was getting to that," Payne said, "It seems there was some bad blood between the victim and the defendant." "You mean the fact that they were at one point or another dating the same girl," Mia said, "One Dahlia Hawthorne." She left out the fact that she and Dahlia had met before. There was no need to reveal that much yet.

Payne chuckled. "Well, good to see the defense is on the ball here as far as the basic facts are concerned. Yes, Ms. Hawthorne is currently the girlfriend of the defendant. But it seems that until about eight months ago, she was the victim's girlfriend. Clearly she has some part to play in all this." Grossberg couldn't help but sigh. "Well, that's Payne for you. He's garnered a reputation as the 'Rookie Killer' of the courtroom." "Well," the judge said, "It seems we have a start at least. Mr. Payne, you may call your first witness." Payne nodded. "The prosecution would like to call Mr. Phoenix Wright to the stand." Wright walked up to the witness stand.

"Name and occupation, please," Payne said. "My name's Phoenix Wright," Wright said, "And I'm a student at Ivy University." Suddenly, Wright started sneezing uncontrollably again. "Sorry, I have a bit of a cold, hence the mask." "Ah," the judge said, "I was wondering about that. Now then, if the witness will testify as to their actions on the day of the incident. Ms. Fey, if you find anything wrong with his testimony, be sure to point it out." _'You'd better tell the truth, for your own sake,'_ Mia thought to herself. Wright gulped. "Well, here goes. I... I admit I was there. But I'm not a killer! All I did was find his body! I hardly knew the guy to begin with... I never even talked to that stuck-up British wannabe!" "HOLD IT!," Mia called out, "If you hardly knew the victim, how do you know he was a 'stuck-up British wannabe'?"

Wright gave a quick sneeze, then said, "He was always walking around with a huge Union Jack on the back of his shirt." "OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "Mr. Wright, lies like this aren't making my job any easier." Wright looked a little confused. "Just take a look at the crime scene photo," Mia said, "There's nothing on his back at all." "Yeah," Wright said, "But he's wearing a leather jacket. The Union Jack is on his favorite t-shirt. We go to the same college, so I've seen it before. Heck, I saw him wearing it earlier that day. That's how I knew about it." "I thought you said you didn't know the victim," Mia said. "I said I _hardly_ knew him," Wright said, "That doesn't mean I never saw him. In fact, he's passed by me quite a few times in the past eight months. And I've seen him wear that shirt on more than one occasion."

Near smirked. "Gotta hand it to him, he's come up with a reasonable excuse for himself. So Mr. Payne, anything else you wanna throw at us?" Payne sighed. "Well, admittedly it _is_ a valid excuse. I suppose I'll have to show more decisive evidence that the defendant didn't just 'stumble' across the body. Mr. Wright, you said earlier you're suffering from a cold? Are you taking any medicine for it?" "Sure," Wright said, "Coldkiller X. My girlfriend suggested it. She says it's best for dealing any type of cold. But after I lost my last bottle I had to get some from the court hospital." "Mr. Payne," Mia said, "Just what does my client's cold have to do with this case?"

Payne smirked. "I think this photo will prove enlightening." He held up a second photo of the victim's hand. Clutched in it was a bottle of Coldkiller X. "Very interesting Mr. Payne," the judge said, "But that's hardly evidence. Coldkiller X is an over-the-counter brand, and very popular. I doubt there's a person in this courtroom who doesn't have some in their medicine cabinet." "Yes, well," Payne said, "I thought the picture alone wouldn't be enough, so I also brought the bottle in question. And it has the defendant's fingerprints all over it. Clearly Mr. Swallow must have sensed the defendant's murderous intent, and picked up the bottle to implicate him after he dropped it."

The judge stroked his beard. "I see. Very well, we'll have both the photo and the bottle added to the Court Record." "One other thing I should mention," Payne said, "The victim's watch was found broken. Apparently, it stopped functioning when a large surge of electricity passed through it. So, Mr. Wright, can you explain that?" "Um...," Wright said, "Does this mean I have to give more testimony?" "I suppose we can count it as such," the judge said, "Very well, you may begin." Wright nodded. "The truth is... I went because he called me. He was in the Pharmacology Department, so we agreed to meet at 2:45 behind that building..."

"HOLD IT!," Mia called out, "Was Mr. Swallow the one who suggested the time?" "Yeah," Wright said, "We were both there right on time." "As a point of curiosity," the judge said, "What was Mr. Swallow studying at the Pharmacology Department?" "Oh that," Wright said, "Apparently, he was there studying how to manufacture and improve pharmaceuticals. He was so good that everyone started calling him the 'Alchemist of Ivy U.' Lots of people, including myself, went there sometimes to see his work. He had this giant laboratory with all kinds of machines and chemicals. Kinda made my head spin." "Can you tell us anything more about the Department?," Mia asked.

"Well," Wright said, "I don't know THAT much about it. But I do know the machines run on high-voltage electricity. I mean, you don't have to be Edison to know that 500,000 watts is a lot of energy. Because all the machines use non-standard voltages, there are high-voltage cables running all around the building, all strung up on electrical poles, like the kind they use for telephone wire. The cables can be found running overhead around the roof of the building. Anyway, we talked for a bit, and then around 3:00, we split up. Then later, when I went back, I found him lying there. I'd been taking Coldkiller X for the last two or three days..."

"HOLD IT!," Mia said, "Isn't it a little strange to catch a cold this time of the year?" "Yeah," Wright said, "But I always get a little careless when the weather starts to warm up. That's what I get for sleeping with the window open in the early spring." "And did anyone else know you were taking cold medicine?," Mia asked. "I'm sure all my friends did," Wright said, "I always take one after meals. But I lost my bottle of it around lunchtime on the day of the accident." "HOLD IT!," Mia called out, "What were you doing for lunch that day?" "Oh that?," Wright said. He seemed to blush under his mask. "I was having lunch Dollie... You know, just the two of it. Her homemade lunches are just the best." Near ducked as Mia slammed her fist against the wall behind her. "Anyway," Wright said, "It was after lunch that day when I noticed my cold medicine was missing."

The judge nodded as he banged his gavel. "Well, that gives us a good deal more to go on." "Hmph," Payne said, "How much of that can we really trust, I wonder." "That's no way to act, Mr. Payne," the judge said, "Giving testimony is hardly an exact science. One cannot appreciate how difficult it can be until one has to do it themselves. This I know from my own experience. But there is one thing that still bugs me. Just how was the murder carried out? So far the prosecution has yet to produce the murder weapon." "I think I can answer that, Your Honor," Mia said, "All we have to do is piece together everything we've learned."

She brought out the crime scene photo. "TAKE THAT! The answer is in the photo right here." She tapped on the hanging cable. "This severed electrical cable is the murder weapon. Mr. Wright stated that the machines in the Pharmacology Department run on high-voltage electricity. The cables in this photo were designed to carry such currents. And there are more of these all over the building!" The judge nodded. "Well, that solves that mystery then. So the reason the prosecution hasn't produced the murder is that they couldn't because it's so unwieldy to carry, is that correct Mr. Payne?" "Well, yes Your Honor," Payne said, "However, I want you to think about what that implies. Because it seems to me the only one with the opportunity to use such a weapon is the defendant!"

"Perhaps," the judge said, "And perhaps not. I think you'll still need some more decisive evidence than what you've shown so far." "Very well then," Payne said, "As you can see in the crime scene photo, the victim is wearing a leather jacket. Such a material holds fingerprints quite well. As it happens, there is a palm print on the chest of the jacket. And we were able to identify this print as the defendant's!" "Hold on!," Wright said, "I can explain that!" "I hope so for your sake," the judge said, "I'll allow you one more testimony, but remember that this is your last chance." "We can't let it end like this," Near said, "Or we'll miss our chance."

Mia nodded. "Hey, Nick." "Huh?," Wright said, "Nick...?" "It's time you told us all what really happened that day," Mia said, "Trust me on this, I'm your attorney." Wright closed his eyes. "Yeah... Alright. Sorry about all this... Chief." He took a deep breath. "The truth is... I did push him that day. See, what Doug wanted to talk to me about was Dollie. He was the one who broke up with her eight months ago, and then she and I got together. Apparently, he wanted to tell me something about her, something I didn't like. That's when I shoved him. But I swear, he was still alive after that, and all the cables were still intact! I just left off in a huff... And came back later to find him dead."

"Why didn't you say all this before?," the judge said. "The way that prosecutor is working," Wright said, "I was afraid I'd be found guilty for sure." The judge nodded. "I understand. But it's still bad for someone to lie in a court of law. Regardless, I'll let you have one final testimony. Better make it count." "It still sounds to me like he killed him," Payne said, "Albeit accidently. After all, there was a light drizzle that day. As anyone knows, water conducts electricity quite well, so a wet person would have been much easier to electrocute." "But I just said the cables were all intact," Wright said, "I would have noticed if one of them was down."

"Let's dispense with speculation and get on with Mr. Wright's testimony," Near said, "I'm getting tired of hearing you talk, Mr. Payne." Wright gave a quick sneeze, then began. "That guy... He was talking bad about Dollie... I lost my temper and gave him a shove! At that moment, I heard some kind of loud noise..." "HOLD IT!," Mia called out, "What exactly was this loud noise?" "I'm not sure what it was," Wright said, "But it was loud. Just a quick 'SNAP!' as he fell." Payne chuckled. "I'm sure that was the sound of the victim being electrocuted." "OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "Electricity doesn't make a quick snapping sound, it's more prolonged. In any case, Mr. Wright, it's very important you try to remember just what made that sound."

Wright thought for a second. "Actually, now that I think about it... Yeah, I remember he had dropped his umbrella after I shoved him... That's it! After I shoved him, he... He fell down on top of his cheap umbrella." "OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "Why didn't you testify about the umbrella in the first place? That would have my job a lot easier." "Impossible," Payne said, "How could such flimsy information have helped?" Mia smirked. "Just look at the crime scene photo. Mr. Wright said the victim fell down on top of his umbrella, but the umbrella in question is several feet away from him. That means the victim had to have moved from where the umbrella is to his current position, meaning he was still alive after the defendant pushed him!"

Payne flinched at that statement. "I see," the judge said, "Mr. Payne, where is the umbrella now?" "It... It was collected by the police at the crime scene, Your Honor," Payne said, clearly shaken. The judge nodded. "Good, then have it added to the Court Record." "But, Your Honor," Payne said, "The umbrella could have simply been blown to its position in the photo by the wind!" "OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "According to the testimony, the victim fell on top of the umbrella. There's no way it could have blown away by the wind!" "It seems this umbrella has created doubt as to the defendant's guilt," the judge said, "Therefore, at this time, I cannot render any sort of judgement. Clearly the defendant's testimony has blown a huge hole in the prosecution's case, therefore it shall be added to the Court Record."

Payne finally calmed down and sighed. "Seems I was expecting too much of a free ride. I should have known I couldn't establish guilt through cross-examination alone." "So then," Mia said, "I take it you have another witness?" Payne smirked. "Indeed. I think you'll find this witness's testimony to be incontrovertible." "And who might this witness be?," the judge asked. "Why, the defendant's girlfriend," Payne said, "Ms. Dahlia Hawthorne, or 'Dollie' as the defendant keeps calling her. As it happens, she witnessed the crime in question. Sorry to break the bad news, my dear." Mia smiled and calmly flicked her hair aside. "Don't be. I've actually been looking forward to this." Payne seemed confused by this. "I think now's a good time for a recess," the judge said, "We will break for twenty minutes, then listen to Ms. Hawthorne's testimony." He banged his gavel to signal the recess.

* * *

_April 11, 11:52 AM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 3_

"Sorry about earlier Chief," Wright said, "I was just scared." Mia gave Wright a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it. At least you told the truth in the end." Wright seemed to cheer up. "Yeah. Anyway, guess I can relax now. After all, the next witness is my Dollie. I just know she'll save me." Mia frowned. "And why do think that?" "Well," Wright said, "She's the love of my life." _'That's what my last client said,'_ Mia thought, _'And look what happened to him.'_ "Perhaps you can tell us a bit about Ms. Hawthorne," Near said. Wright nodded. "Actually, we met in this very courthouse eight months ago. See, I'm studying to be a lawyer on the side. Anyway, the two of us happened to bump into each other in the reading room downstairs."

"That's quite the coincidence," Grossberg said. "Coincidence nothing!," Wright said, "It was fate, pure and simple! I knew she was the one for me the second I laid eyes on her. She even gave me this." He pulled out a necklace with a heart-shaped pendant holding a bottle. A look of recognition flashed across Mia's eyes. "Dollie gave this to me," Wright said, "As a symbol of our love! She had been wearing it herself, but when we met she took it off, saying she wanted me to carry it." "An interesting little trinket," Near said, "I believe Mia may have seen something like it before." "Maybe," Wright said, "But it's one-of-a-kind to me, cause it holds all the memories me and Dollie made together! I show it to everyone I meet, so I can share the happiness it brings me with the whole world!" "Is that so?," Mia said, "Can I borrow it for the trial?" Wright nodded.

_'I thought there was another of these,'_ Mia said, _'The only other one I know of is in a police evidence locker.' _She turned to Wright. "So after that, you two started dating?" "Yeah," Wright said, "But I think she kinda shy. Every time we go out, she always asks for the necklace back." "How strange," Near said, "To ask for a present like that back." "Nick," Mia said, "Can you tell me something? That day eight months ago, when you first met Dahlia... Was that on August 27?" Wright became flabbergasted. "Yeah, but how did you know!?" Mia took out a newspaper from her bag. "Cause something else happened on that same day."

Wright took a look at the newspaper clipping. "'Murder in the Courthouse?'" "Not a murder, per se," Near said, "The victim in that case is simply comatose. But he's been declared legally dead due to the method of killing." "Let me see that for a second," Grossberg said. He read over the paper, and then his eyes lit up. "Ah, now I understand why you wanted this case so badly. You believe there is some relationship between the two cases." He closed his eyes. "I can see you need to finish this, but this clipping alone will not be enough. Tell you what, I'll go have a look at the reading room and see what I can find. In the meantime, it seems recess is about over. You should get back to the courtroom." He headed out of the lobby, followed shortly by the others.

To be continued...

**Looks like a certain red-headed devil woman is returning. This should be interesting. This case will conclude next chapter, so read and review.**


	8. Chapter 8: Turnabout Memories Part 2

**Second and last part of Turnabout Memories (pretty short, huh?). This chapter will bring some closure and also some much needed justice. Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, Persona, or Ace Attorney.**

Chapter 8: Turnabout Memories Part 2

_April 11, 12:13 PM_

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 2_

Once everyone was in their place, the judge banged his gavel to call order. "Court will now reconvene for the trial of Phoenix Wright. Mr. Payne, you may call your next witness." "Yes, Your Honor," Payne said, "This next witness happened to be at the scene when the crime occurred. The prosecution calls Ms. Dahlia Hawthorne to the stand." As the familiar young woman entered the courtroom, Near turned his eyes to the door. Standing just within view was a very large man. Near gave a quick nod to him before the man closed the door.

Dahlia came up to the witness stand and gave her sweetest smile. _'Jeez,'_ Mia thought, _'She's gonna give people cavities just by looking at them.'_ "Well now," the judge said, "I must say this young lady radiates a glow of sincerity. But, time will tell whether or not that can be trusted." Payne seemed to be entranced for a second or two, then recovered and said, "Ahem, uh... Sorry. Will the witness please state their name and occupation?" "Yes, of course," Dahlia said, "I'm sorry, I just get so nervous in places like this. Anyway, my name is Dahlia Hawthorne, and I'm a junior in Literature at Ivy University."

"Careful," Near said, "You might give someone diabetes if you keep acting all sweet and innocent." Dahlia giggled. "Anyway, I'm sure there must be some kind of mistake here. I just know Feenie wouldn't kill anyone, he's too gentle for that." _'Easy stomach,' _Mia said, _'Don't turn over on me.' _"Well," the judge said, "I can understand why you'd say that. But we still have procedure to go through. So if you'd please give us your testimony as to what you witnessed, we'd greatly appreciate it." "I hope you're ready to counter her," Near said, "Regardless of what she says."

"Don't worry," Mia said, "I have a feeling she'll try keeping up appearances by saying Nick is innocent and giving some flimsy excuse, but I'd rather not win on paper-thin lies. It's not my policy." "Well, well," Dahlia said, "You haven't changed one bit, Mia Fey. I must admit, it's good to see you again." Mia smirked. "It's only been over a year since the last time we met, though I actually have changed somewhat during that time." "Wait a minute," Payne said, "Are you saying you two are acquainted in some manner?" "Whether they are or not," Near said, "Has no bearing on this case. I'd recommend we get on with the testimony."

Dahlia gave another smile. "Very well then. I had been planning to go back to Feenie's place after class was over. Feenie and Dougie... They were talking behind the building. Then suddenly... Dougie got all wobbly and just collapsed." "HOLD IT!," Mia called out, "So the victim just collapsed on his own?" "That's right," Dahlia said, "Feenie never even touched him. I was watching him the whole time." Mia smirked. "Still with the old habit of bad lies. In fact, I'd say they've gotten worse." "OBJECTION!," Payne called out, "Ms. Fey, I cannot allow you to badger this poor witness!" Mia just glared at him, causing Payne to gulp. "Please don't give me that look... I'm just doing my job..."

"Then let me do mine," Mia said, "I was in the middle of refuting the witness's claim. As I was saying Ms. Hawthorne, the defendant's palmprint had been found on Mr. Swallow's leather jacket. We've already established the fact that Mr. Wright had indeed pushed the victim." Dahlia seemed confused by this statement. "There's really no need to try and cover for the defendant," Mia said, "It'd be much easier just to tell the whole truth." "Indeed," the judge said, "Just calm down and tell us everything you saw." "Yes of course," Dahlia said, "I'm sorry..."

She took a few deep breaths. "Um, actually, I didn't see the moment he pushed Dougie. It didn't look like they were fighting, and I didn't hear any noise either." "OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "Are you sure you didn't hear any noise?" "Of course," Dahlia said, "That's why I was so relaxed." Mia smiled and pushed her hair aside. "Well, I'm sure we're all grateful to hear that, but there's something about that statement I find just a little odd." She brought out Wright's testimony. "This is the testimony of your boyfriend, the defendant. He stated that at the moment he pushed the victim, he heard a sharp, loud noise."

Dahlia was taken aback. "Wait, he really said that...?" "If you were really so close to the crime scene," Mia said, "Then why didn't you hear this noise as well?" "OBJECTION!," Payne said, starting to sweat, "Maybe the noise just wasn't that memorable." "OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "The defendant testified that the noise was like a sharp 'SNAP'! I fail to see how such a noise would not leave a lasting impression." "Well actually," Dahlia said, "I was wearing my headphones at the time, listening to music, so both of my ears were covered. Not to mention there was still some thunder in the sky that day."

"Wait," Mia said, "Did you say thunder?" "Yes," Dahlia said, "I'm very afraid of thunder, which is why I had my headphones on... To drown out the sound." "Interesting," Mia said, "Your Honor, what the witness said just now is very important. If there was thunder in the sky, there should also have been lightning, correct?" "Logically, yes," the judge said, "After all, it is lightning that creates thunder. Where are you going with this?" "Simple," Mia said, "Lightning is a massive discharge of electrical energy. I'd like to know whether or not the prosecution has investigated the possibility that the victim died to a lightning strike."

"Well yes," Payne said, "Given the weather report for that day, our first priority was making sure this was an ACTUAL murder and not merely an accident caused by a stray bolt. And the defense is correct, there was lightning on that day. But we found no evidence that any bolts hit around the area of the crime scene." _'Well,'_ Mia thought, _'It was worth a shot.'_ "I'd like to ask a question of my own," Near said, "How did the cable get severed like that? I hope the prosecution isn't thinking this murder was premeditated." "There's no evidence to support that," Payne said, "But we do have evidence as to how the cable got severed."

He got out a note. "This is an affidavit from the students at the Pharmacology Department who had been conducting experiments that day. According to their testimony, all the equipment in the labs suddenly lost power at around 3:00 PM that day. As was already discussed, the machines in the lab run on high-voltage electricity. In other words, they had to have lost power because of the severed cable." "That only proves the victim died as a result of touching the cable," Mia said, "What about how the cable got severed?" "We're still not sure of that," Payne said, "But according to the students the cables were very old and brittle. In fact, they were planning on having the cables replaced."

"Interesting," the judge said, "Just how brittle were they?" "Apparently it had gotten to the point where even the slightest bump would have severed them," Payne said. The judge nodded. "This is important information. Let's have this affidavit added to the Court Record." He stroked his beard. "You know, a thought just occurred to me. If the slightest bump could have severed the cable, then it wouldn't have snapped in the first place unless something hadn't bumped into it, correct? Ms. Fey, have you thoughts on this?" Mia paused for thought.

"Come to think about it," Mia said, "I think this new piece of information has opened up a whole perspective on the case. First of all, let's recall the defendant's testimony. He said that after he pushed the victim, he heard a loud, sharp noise like a snap. Now, this happened at around 3:00 PM. If the lab equipment lost power at around that time, then I'd say it's likely Mr. Wright's shove is what caused it." "Well yes," Payne said, "I also came to the same conclusion. And it was that very shove that caused the victim to be electrocuted!"

"OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "I'm afraid that's where you're wrong, Mr. Payne. Take a look at the crime scene photo." She pointed to the victim's umbrella. "As we've established, when Mr. Wright pushed Mr. Swallow, he landed on his umbrella. And in this photo, the umbrella is by the electrical pole in the background. In other words, the victim had to have banged into that pole as a result of being pushed. That's what caused the cable to break." "I think I understand," the judge said, "If the victim had banged into the pole in the background, he couldn't have been electrocuted by the cable in the foreground."

"Exactly," Mia said, "That means someone other than my client had to have electrocuted the victim!" "Um," Dahlia said, "Could I... Say something real quick? What the defense said... It's a little different than how I remember it." _'You've got to be kidding me,'_ Mia thought to herself. "If I may," Dahlia said, "I'd like to testify again, please." "I suppose," the judge said, "Very well, but be careful not to make anymore lies." Dahlia nodded and gave a sweet smile. "Looks like we're getting her to show her true colors," Near said, "We just need to keep pressing the offensive against her."

Dahlia looked over to Wright for a second. "I'm sorry Feenie, but I have to tell the truth here." She took a deep breath. "The truth is... Feenie pushed him twice. The first time was into the electrical pole. That's when the cable broke. Then Dougie tried his best to run away from him... But Feenie caught up and crashed into him from behind. The cable snapping, and Dougie being electrocuted... It all occurred in less than a minute." "OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "That's quite enough Ms. Hawthorne. I'm afraid your testimony has a blatant contradiction."

Dahlia looked confused. "What do you mean?" "The answer is in this picture," Mia said, holding up the medicine photo. "Other than the medicine clutched in the victim's hand," Mia explained, "There's one other important detail in this photo... The victim's watch. It stopped at the precise time the victim was electrocuted. And the time it reads is 3:05 PM. Now tell me, what time did the lab suffer that power outage due to the cable snapping?" Payne smirked. "According to the students' testimony, it was 2:55 PM..." He realized what he had just said and became flabbergasted.

Mia hit her hands on the bench. "So Ms. Dahlia Hawthorne, care to explain what happened during this 10 minute interval!?" Dahlia flinched. "It's the defense's opinion," Mia said, "That it was during this time that the real murderer killed Doug Swallow!" "OBJECTION!," Payne called out, "That's ridiculous! The 'real murderer'...!?" "OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "Even you can't deny that the time between being the cable breaking and the actual murder are unaccounted for!" "OBJECTION!," Payne called out, "Then who else could have committed this murder!?"

Mia smiled as she flipped her hair aside. "I'd have thought that would be obvious by now. After my client left the scene, there was a window of opportunity for the real killer to act." "Then I assume the defense wishes to indict this 'real killer'," the judge said, "And who might that be, Ms. Fey?" Mia cracked a smile. _'Finally, it's been many months, but I'm well on my way.'_ "Your Honor," she said, "There's only one person connected to this case who could have done this... Ms. Dahlia Hawthorne!" "OBJECTION!," Payne called out, starting to sweat bullets, "The... The defense is grasping at straws..."

"Ten minutes had passed between the cable breaking and the actual murder," Mia argued, "That time is completely unaccounted for. So, Ms. Hawthorne, just what were you doing during that time? Cause I find it hard to believe your were simply listening to music, not lifting a finger to stop the men 'dearest' to you!" Near held up a number of finger puppets, representing the witness, defendant, and victim. "I think I have a good idea of what went down that day. Ms. Hawthorne wasn't lying when she said she saw the two men fight, but that's where her truth ends."

"How do you mean?," the judge asked. "Mr. Wright has already admitted to shoving the victim," Near explained, "But after that, he simply walked away. Then afterward, Dahlia came in... And killed Mr. Swallow by shoving him into the exposed electrical cable." Dahlia looked like she had been blown back by a fierce wind. "How... How can you say something so mean...?" "You tell me," Near said, "Can you prove me wrong somehow?" "HOLD IT!," Wright called out, "Your Honor, I'd like the defense's statement stricken right now! Dollie... She could never do- ACK!"

Near had grabbed Wright by the ear. "Shut up, Nick," Near said, "And sit down. We're trying to do our job here. In case you haven't noticed, your 'Dollie' just threw you under a bus." Wright sneezed, then sat back down. "Well now," Grossberg said as he reentered the courtroom, "It seems that poor boy has gotten in way over his head." "Oh," Mia said, "There you are Mr. Grossberg. How much of that did you hear?" Grossberg sat down. "Only the last bit. I was searching for the police report on that incident in the newspaper clipping. I've already had it cleared to be entered as evidence in the Court Record."

Mia smiled as she took the report. "Thanks Mr. Grossberg! This is just what we needed!" "So just what's in that report?," Near asked. Grossberg grew a little forlorn. "It details how Mia... Well... Lost her boyfriend, Diego Armando." The judge cleared his throat. "If we can get to back to trial then. Mr. Payne, what do you think of these accusations against the witness?" Payne seemed to be at a loss for words. "Um," Dahlia said, smiling sweetly again, "Mr. Prosecutor..." Payne seemed to cheer up. "Oh, uh... Not to worry, my dear. I have everything under control."

_'Gag me with a spoon,'_ Mia thought to herself. Dahlia started tearing up. "Ms. Fey, are you seriously accusing me of killing Dougie?" "Not only am I saying that," Mia said, "But I'm also saying you tried to pin the crime on your own boyfriend, Phoenix Wright!" Near hit Wright over the head before he could get up to say anything. "How...," Dahlia stuttered, "How can you say such a thing? I'm completely devoted to Feenie. I could never frame him like that. Why on earth would I do such a thing?"

"You're asking for motive?," Mia said, "Then I'll provide a valid one. Your Honor, the defense requests further testimony from the witness, but not about the crime itself." "Then what, pray tell?," the judge asked. "I'd like to hear about the events of the day when Ms. Hawthorne first met the defendant," Mia said. "OBJECTION!," Payne called out, "How would something like that have any bearing on the case?" "OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "I happen to have evidence as to why the witness would try frame my client for murder."

"If that's the case," the judge said, "Then the court shall grant your request. Ms. Hawthorne, if you please?" Dahlia smiled sweetly again. "Of course Your Honor." "Don't worry Dollie!," Wright called out, "I'll keep you safe!" "Shut up Nick," Near said, and he smacked Wright upside the head. "No further outbursts please," the judge said, "Let's get on with the testimony." Dahlia sighed, then began. "I first met my darling Feenie eight months ago. It's like we were destined to meet in this very courthouse's basement reading room."

"HOLD IT!," Mia called out, "Isn't it a little strange to meet the love of your life in a courthouse reading room?" "Not really," Dahlia said, "Feenie was not just an art student, he was also studying to become a lawyer." "I know," Mia said, "He told me himself. I was talking about you, Ms. Hawthorne. What was a literature student doing in a courthouse reading room?" "OBJECTION!," Payne called out, "This line of questioning has nothing to do with the murder case." "If you'll allow me," Mia said, "I believe I can easily establish relevance."

"Very well," the judge said, "The witness will answer the question." "Yes, Your Honor," Dahlia said, "I had come to this courthouse to do some research for a paper I was writing." "OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "I think you were here for more than a research paper. In fact, I believe you came here for a much more important reason. As it happens, another tragedy occurred in this very courthouse... Eight months ago. It's all right here in this police report." "I remember that incident," the judge said, "It involved a prominent attorney being poisoned."

"As it happens," Mia said, "The name of the suspect in that incident is in this report. And the name of that suspect is... Dahlia Hawthorne!" The whole courtroom seemed to be confused. "That's right," Mia said, "Sweet little Dahlia Hawthorne was the prime suspect in that criminal case just eight months ago!" "OBJECTION!," Payne said, "I cannot have the defense slandering the witness like this with an unrelated case!" "Um, excuse me," Dahlia said, "May I have a word? It's true that the police saw me as a person of interest in that case eight months ago. But I swear I wasn't the person who committed that horrible crime."

"Then perhaps you'd like to give testimony as to that incident," the judge said. "Well," Payne said, "Since Ms. Hawthorne already said she didn't do it... I guess the defense is all out of tricks." Mia smirked. "Not even close. I actually have quite a few more tricks under my sleeve. And I'll be sure to show them all by the end of this trial." Payne gulped, flabbergasted by Mia's newfound confidence. "Well now," Grossberg said, "You're looking more like a real defense attorney Mia. Good show." Near smiled as well. "So, shall we move on with the testimony?"

"Very well," Dahlia said, "I met the lawyer who was poisoned to discuss something in the cafeteria that day. I left my seat for a moment, and that's when it happened! From what I heard, it was a liquid poison that is lethal at just two teaspoons. Not only that, I heard it was a very special kind of poison. So you see, I'm innocent! I wouldn't even know where to get a poison like that!" "OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "I think you had a pretty good idea where to get such a poison. In fact, you probably had easy access... At your ex-boyfriend's lab." "You mean she could have gotten it from the victim?," the judge asked.

"That's right," Mia said, "Don't forget that up until eight months ago, the two of them had been dating. And Mr. Swallow had been a Pharmacology student at Ivy University, meaning his laboratory contained highly advanced chemistry equipment. In fact, without this equipment... The culprit could never have gotten their hands on such a rare poison! It seems you had access to such a poison after all, Ms. Hawthorne. After that, all you had to do was slip the poison into the victim's coffee when he wasn't looking. And it would have been easy. After all... You were sitting at the same table as him!"

Dahlia once again looked like she had been blown back. "OBJECTION!," Payne called out, "That's just baseless accusations. How would the witness even have carried that amount of poison into the courtroom unseen!?" "That's right," Dahlia said, "I was searched immediately after the incident took place, and the police didn't find a suspicious container anywhere." "It didn't necessarily have to be suspicious," Mia said, "In fact, I believe you may have disposed of it... But not in the conventional manner." She brought out the heart-shaped pendant. "TAKE THAT! You were likely forced to get rid of the container in a hurry, so you passed it on to someone who had nothing to do with the case!"

"Indeed," Near said, "Such a person wouldn't be searched by police." "So who was this person?," the judge asked. Mia smiled. "It was Phoenix Wright, the defendant." "OBJECTION!," Payne said, "Are you saying the defendant was an accomplice?" "Not at all," Mia said, "In fact, he didn't even know what he was carrying. You see, Dahlia had given Phoenix that container under the pretense that it was a present. If you'll observe the pendant I have, you'll see there's a little bottle in there." The judge took a good look at it. "Interesting. This looks like it could hold around two teaspoons. So where are you going with this?"

"It's simple," Mia said, "The day the witness met the defendant and supposedly fell for him was August 27, the very day of the poisoning incident. Under the pretense of love, Dahlia offered that necklace to my client as a present... In order to hide the one piece of evidence that would give her away!" "The poison in that bottle is gone," Near said, "But there may still be traces of it left behind. We should have the crime lab analyze it." Suddenly, Wright cried out, "OBJECTION! Wait! Hold on! I can't go through with this anymore!"

Near glared at him. "Jeez, do you ever shut up? Nick, I'd advise against doing anything stupid here." "I don't care!," Wright said, "This is just like what happened with Doug! I... I can't let this continue!" He grabbed the necklace and tried to run out of the courtroom. However, no sooner did he exit the door when the sounds of a scuffle ensued. A few seconds later, a large man burst into the courtroom, carrying Wright by the collar of his sweater. In his other hand was the necklace. The large man was dressed in a black business suit, his short black hair slicked back. He wore a large pair of reading glasses.

"Well done, Kanji," Near said, "Your Honor, my I present Kanji Tatsumi of the III, expert in profiling and all-around muscle of the organization. He's here at my request." "Nice to meet ya," Kanji said, walking Wright back to the Defendant's Chair. "Seriously Nick," Near said, "I know it seems like Dahlia is the best thing that ever happened in your life, but the truth you're not the first person to think that. And really, just because you feel that way, doesn't mean she feels the same. So far she's tried to pin the whole thing on you, frame you for a crime you didn't commit, force you to carry a crucial piece of evidence that could implicate her in a crime, and then later asked for it back. Can you really be sure... That she loves you the same way you love her?"

Wright started to tear up. He tried his best to hold it back, but a few drops still fell down his cheek. "There... There is something I should say... I never really explained just what me and Doug talked about on the day of his death. This is something I probably should have mentioned earlier." "Very well," the judge said, "Perhaps you can tell us real quick." Wright nodded. "At first, he told me I shouldn't see Dollie anymore... For my own sake. I just told him it was none of his business who I dated. Then he said something that shocked me... Someone had stolen a rare poison from his lab the previous night."

Dahlia face seemed to darken under her umbrella as Wright continued. "He then said that the same thing had happened eight months ago, at a time when Dollie had visited the lab. He said she was the only one who could have done it... That she was a thief. I got so angry at that statement, that I shoved him to the ground. That's when I heard the noise. I didn't think anything of it at the time... I was just so mad that I walked of in a huff. After I had a chance to calm down I got worried about him and went back to see how he was." "And what happened when you got back?," the judge asked.

"There was a huge crowd," Wright said, "Dollie was crouched next to Doug's body. At first I thought he was only unconscious. I thought something else must have happened to him, since he was lying face-down and he had fallen face-up when I shoved him. She said never to tell anyone about that. But... She couldn't have done it... I just know she couldn't have killed him!" Mia closed her eyes for a moment. "Actually Nick... I'm afraid I'm more convinced than ever. I think it's possible that Ms. Hawthorne had stolen some poison the night before she killed Mr. Swallow. However, I don't think the poison was meant for him."

"Then who was it meant for?," the judge asked. "There's only one person she would need to use it on," Mia said, "The one person in her way at the time... Phoenix Wright!" Wright became flabbergasted. "But how can that be?," the judge asked, "I thought they were lovers." "I'm sure that's what Mr. Wright thinks even now," Mia said, "But there's only thing Ms. Hawthorne cared about... The one piece of evidence linking her to the incident eight months ago." "The bottle necklace," the judge realized, "Which reminds me... Now's as good a time as any to get that thing tested." Kanji handed the necklace to a bailiff who took it out of the courtroom.

"OBJECTION!," Payne called out, "Why would the witness even go so far as to have someone murdered over that necklace?" "There was only one thing on Dahlia's mind that day eight months ago," Mia said, "How to get rid of the necklace as quickly as possible. She couldn't leave the courthouse with it, they'd search her before she could leave. She couldn't dump it in any of the trash bins, the police's search would find it before too long. Her only choice was to give it someone who had nothing to do with the crime." "That...," Wright said, "That can't be..."

"I must admit it was pretty clever on her part," Mia said, "But there was one hitch to it. Even though she got Mr. Wright to hide the evidence for her, he refused to give it back. It wasn't evidence to him, it was a cherished treasure. He would even show it to everyone he met." "I see," the judge said, "Sooner or later he'd wind up showing the bottle to the wrong person... Someone who would link that bottle to the incident. This is what she feared." Wright was shaking like a leaf at these words. "It's not true... This can't be true... This... This has to be a dream..."

"Hmph," Dahlia said, "What a joke you are 'Feenie'. How could any women even count on you, much less fall for you?" Her face had gone from sweet to bitter in a matter of seconds. _'It's about time she showed her true nature,'_ Mia said, _'I was wondering how much longer it would take.'_ Dahlia scoffed. "I told you time and again to keep your trap shut about me and that necklace. And as for you, Ms. Fey... I'll admit you've done a splendid job so far. I guess you're skills have improved since the last time we met. But you still lack decisive proof that I killed anyone."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Mia said, "In fact, there happens to be one piece of evidence that I think can prove your guilt once and for all." She held out the bottle of Coldkiller X. "TAKE THAT! This may seem like seem like simple medicine... But I wouldn't take it even if I had a cold. After all... This particular bottle has been poisoned. We know the defendant lost his bottle around lunchtime on the day on of the murder. He also said that he and Dahlia ate lunch together all the time. I'm willing to bet that she took the bottle, then poisoned it knowing Mr. Wright would take some after lunch."

"OBJECTION!," Payne called out, "Now you're _really_ grasping at straws. It was the victim who was found holding the bottle." Mia just smiled. "I'd like the court to remember what happened eight months ago. Specifically, where Ms. Hawthorne hid the evidence against her." "Assuming the poison was in the bottle necklace," the judge said, "Which should be confirmed within the hour, it was given to the defendant for safekeeping." "Exactly, Your Honor," Mia said, "And she did the same thing this time as well. After shoving the victim, the defendant left the scene, and that's when Ms. Hawthorne showed up, carrying the poisoned bottle."

Dahlia's face seemed to be getting darker as Mia continued. "Naturally, she was still planning to carry out her murder of Mr. Wright. After all, she did testify that she was going to meet with him. She would have heard and seen everything that happened at the scene. This included what the two men were arguing about, and of course the severed electrical cable. At that moment, she realized that Doug had to die, so she shoved him into the cable, silencing him forever! But once again, there was a hitch. Mr. Wright, who she thought had already left, had returned to check on the victim. There were also several more students who showed up as a result of the power outage that occurred."

"I get it," the judge said, "If she was still carrying the poisoned bottle, she would have been in a panic. There was a good chance she would have been searched again, like eight years ago." "Which is why she disposed of the evidence in the exact same manner," Mia said, "She had someone else hold onto it... Doug Swallow!" Dahlia scoffed. "A pretty tale, I must admit. But nothing but conjecture, right Mr. Payne?" "Well... Uh, Yes," Payne said, "Nothing but desperation." "OBJECTION!," Mia called out, "I wonder just which of us is the desperate one. Ms. Hawthorne, if you're so sure I'm lying, then perhaps you'd care to prove it."

She offered Dahlia the medicine bottle. "If I am lying, then there shouldn't be any poison in this bottle, correct? So why not try one for yourself?" Rather than answer her immediately, Dahlia simply began to shake as her face darkened again. Suddenly, her eyes seemed to emit an erie glow beneath her umbrella. "So... It's come to that is it... Mia Fey... Well, I guess you have me there... But this is far from over." She chuckled darkly. "It seems I have no choice but to submit this round to you... Mia Fey. But I have a very long memory, and I have a feeling we'll meet again in the future. Now then, I suppose I must spend a little quality time with the police for a while. Farewell." And with that, she was led out of the courtroom, still with a demonically sweet smile on her face.

After she was gone, Mia breathed a sigh of relief. _'It's all over. I got her, Diego... I got her for you.'_ "We'll have the lab boys test the medicine bottle as well," Near said, "They should almost be done with the results from the necklace." "OBJECTION!," Payne said, "I... I can't accept this. The defense hasn't shown a scrap of evidence to support their claims." "Is that right?," the judge, "Your witness seems to have accepted it." "I don't care!," Payne yelled, "I'm Winston Payne the Rookie Killer, and I will not believe the word of some rookie attorney!"

"In that case," Mia said, "Perhaps you'd like to try the medicine yourself. If you really think the witness is so trustworthy, then there couldn't possibly be any poison this bottle, right?" Payne gulped. "You're not serious... Are you...?" Mia smirked. "Some rookie killer. What, all of a sudden you can't trust your own witnesses? Cause all it sounds like to me is that you're trying to backpedal against all this!" Payne grew so flustered over this, that he actually wound up tearing out his own hair. Shortly after that, the results of the test came back, confirming the necklace had traces of fresh poison in it. "Well," the judge said, "It appears we have gotten to the truth of the matter. Mr. Payne, you will file the paperwork for Ms. Hawthorne's immediate arrest."

Payne, more shaken up than ever, nodded. "Well," the judge said, "It would seem Ms. Hawthorne had most of this courtroom fooled. By the way Ms. Fey, you said earlier that you and Dahlia knew each other." "Your Honor," Mia said, "That has nothing to do with the case at present." "I see," the judge said, nodding, "Very well, I won't go into it." Payne was still in shock. "This can't be happening! It's like I'm in a nightmare where I lost to my own daughter!" Near smirked. "Looks like Mr. Payne's lost more than his hair." "So it would seem," the judge said, "Does the defendant have anything more to say?" Wright also seemed in shock, but recovered. "No, Your Honor. I'm just... Finding this hard to believe..." "I understand," the judge said, "Regardless, I believe I am ready to pass judgement on this trial. And so, the court finds the defendant, Phoenix Wright... NOT GUILTY!" He banged his gavel to finalize his decision. "Court is now adjourned."

* * *

_April 11, 3:16 PM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 3_

"Well done Mia!," Grossberg said, "You've done an old man proud!" "Thank you Mr. Grossberg," Mia said, "But I couldn't have done it without you and Near helping me." "Seems to me," Near said, "That Mia has proven just what it means for a lawyer and client to have mutual trust. She and Wright even have nicknames for each other now." Grossberg nodded. "It seems we veteran lawyers have lost sight as to what it means to trust our clients." Mia nodded happily. "So, Nick, how are you feeling?" "Better, I guess," Wright said, "I mean, I was found not guilty, so I don't have to worry anymore. But..."

"You still worried about Dahlia?," Near said. "Actually," Wright said, "I'm starting to get the feeling that wasn't Dahlia, at least not the Dahlia I know. The Dollie I fell in love with could NEVER say those terrible things... Or kill anyone. Maybe... Maybe she was just a fake or something... But I guess I'll never know now." Mia sighed. "Nick, you should just forget about that woman, for your own sake." "Yeah," Wright said, "I guess so. And I think it's time I started to grow up a bit. After all, I'm going need to be more mature if I want to become a lawyer myself."

"Hey yeah," Mia said, "You never explained why you want to be a lawyer. I thought you were in the Art Department." "Well," Wright said, "There's this friend I desperately want to help. I know that if I hurry, I can still save him. But the problem is, he's a prosecutor right now. And the only way I'll likely be able to save him from the path he's taken is if I become a lawyer and go against him in court. After all, a lawyer is someone who can help people when they're in trouble, right?" Mia smiled. "Well, I'm still new at this myself, but I think you may be right. So go ahead and study, and maybe the next we see each other, we'll be working together." Wright nodded. "Sure. It's better than being a defendant." The two of them laughed like they were old friends. Near couldn't help but smile. _'A lot of potential, this one. We'll have to keep our eye on him.'_

Next case: Turnabout First

**Glad to see justice finally done, huh? Next case is only going to be one chapter long, so don't expect any serious cliffhangers. And be sure to read and review.**


	9. Chapter 9: Turnabout First

**This is going to be the shortest case you will ever see in this series of stories; a mere ONE CHAPTER! For the record, the name of the case is based on "The First Turnabout" but I like starting each case with that word "turnabout" so expect that a lot. Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, Persona, or Ace Attorney.**

Chapter 9: Turnabout First

_August 2, 2016_

"Slow down, Larry," Wright said. It had been more than three years since he had been accused of a murder he did not commit, and now he himself was a lawyer like he had hoped. Ever since Mia successfully brought closure to three cases in one fell swoop, she had been made an official part of III and even opened her own attorney's office. Now here he was, Phoenix Wright, working for the very woman who had saved his life three years ago, just like he thought might happen. Wright had certainly grown up since he graduated from Ivy University, and was now decked out in a nice blue business suit.

He was currently on the phone with his old friend from grade school, Larry Butz. Larry seemed rather hysterical as he spoke to Wright. 'My girlfriend's dead man! Gone! Passed away! And for some reason the police think _I_ did it! I heard you recently became a lawyer, Nick, so you gotta help me out!' Wright groaned as he scratched his head. "Well, since I don't really have any other clients at the moment... Actually you're the first person whose ever wanted me to defend them in court. I'll talk to the chief and see what I can do." 'Thanks Nick,' Larry said, 'I knew I could count on you.'

Wright sighed as he hung up the phone. "Who was that?," came Mia's voice. Mia seemed to have gotten quite a bit more sophisticated in three years. And more confident as well, if the fact that she was willing to open her blouse a bit more was any indication. "Just an old friend of mine," Wright said, "He wants me to defend him in court tomorrow." "Great," Mia said, "It's about time you had your first case. I'll contact III, they should be able to send an investigator over tomorrow." "But by that time the police will have already investigated the crime," Wright said. "Not to worry," Mia said, "As you've seen for yourself, III can do a lot outside the crime scene."

* * *

_August 3, 9:47 AM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 2_

Misa Kitamura was walking through the halls to meet the attorney her husband Kisuke spoke of. Misa was a very attractive young woman in her mid-twenties. She wore a black, form-fitting body suit with brown boots and skirt, as well as a brown jacket. She had long ago taken to letting her long, blonde hair flow down to her waist naturally. _'I wonder who this new defense attorney is,'_ she thought to herself, _'Near seemed to think he had a lot of potential. Let's see now... Lobby No. 2...'_ "Hey there," came another woman's voice, "You must be Misa." Misa turned to see Mia walking towards the lobby.

"Oh, hello," Misa said, "I heard all about you from Near. You're Mia Fey right. I'm amazed at how similar our name's are, just one letter off from each other. So, I hear this new attorney works for you, right?" "Sure does," Mia said, "And I sure hope he doesn't choke out there." She led Misa inside, where Wright was passing back and forth. "Hey Chief," he said when he saw Mia, "Glad to see you made it time. So, is that the III investigator you spoke of?" "Yep," Mia said, "This is Misa Kitamura." "Hi there," Misa said, waving her right hand. Wright noted the wedding ring on her finger. "Oh, so Kitamura isn't your maiden name." Misa giggled. "So you noticed my ring, huh? Most people outside of Japan might recognize me. See, I see used to be called Misa Amane, a popular model and actress."

"Is that right?," Wright said, "So how did you get into criminal investigations?" "My husband Kisuke works for the National Police Agency in Japan," Misa explained, "I picked up quite a bit, and of course he taught me a great deal. Anyway, I gotta say I'm impressed you decided to pick a murder trial for your first case. That takes guts." "Well, it's because it's for an old friend of mine," Wright said, nodding to the young man in the corner. Standing there was a young man around Wright's age, wearing an orange hoodie and matching pants. His brown hair was spiked up very high.

"I didn't realize you already knew the defendant," Mia said. "Yeah," Wright said, "We go way back, and I actually owe him a favor. In fact, you could say I owe my current job to him. I really want to help him out, but I feel so new to this." Mia smiled. "Don't worry about it Nick, we all start off as beginners. I still remember my first case from more than four years ago." Suddenly, the young man blurted out, "It's over! My life is all over!" Wright sighed. "Let me calm him down." He walked over to the young man. "Larry, what's the deal here?"

Larry was crying so much it almost looked like a flood. "Oh, Nick... My life is over without Cindy! Go ahead, I'm guilty! Gimme the death sentence! I ain't afraid to die!" Wright sighed, then backhanded Larry across the cheek. "Uh...," Misa said, "Alright then..." "Better?," Wright said. Larry rubbed his cheek. "Better..." Wright sighed, then rubbed the back of his head. "Seriously Larry, Cindy's like... The seventeenth girlfriend you've had so far." "Yeah, but you know what it's like to fall head over heels in love, Nick," Larry said. _'Yeah,'_ Wright thought, _'And it nearly got me in serious trouble.'_

Larry started crying again. "Who could have done this? Who my Cindy away from me Nick?" "How am I supposed to know?," Wright said, "It's not like I was there that day." "Seriously," Misa said, "This guy's a wet blanket." "That's Larry," Wright said, "Back in grade school we had a saying; 'When something smells, it's usually the Butz.' That's basically how it's been for the last 23 years. Still, I can honestly say it's never his fault. He just has bad luck in all things, especially women. Still, I know he's a good man at heart and would never kill anyone, which is another reason I decided to defend him today." After the intercom announced the start of trial, the group headed out for the courtroom.

* * *

_August 3: 10:00 AM_

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 2_

_'Looks similar to when I was a defendant,'_ Wright thought to himself, _'Even the old judge and Winston Payne are here.'_ As everyone got settled at their placed, the judge banged his gavel to start the trial. "Court is now in session for the trial of Larry Butz." Payne, now wearing a gray suit, confirmed he was ready and Wright did the same. "It's been a while Mr. Wright," the judge said, "More than three years. I must say, I'm glad to see you in a place other than the Defendant's Chair this time. Similar set up, but now a different attorney and defendant." "It has been a while," Wright said, "Though I must admit I'm as nervous as I was that day, Your Honor."

"Well, it is your first trial as a defense attorney," the judge said, "But your conduct during this trial can have an impact on your client's chances of an acquittal. As I'm sure you know, murder is a very serious charge." He stroked his beard. "I think, given the circumstances, a quick test is in order to ascertain your readiness. Just a few simple questions, and I want you to answer as clearly and concisely as possible." "This should be interesting," Misa said, "I hope Wright did his homework." "Let's begin with the first question," the judge said, "Who is the defendant is this case?"

"Well, that's an easy one," Wright said, "The defendant's name is Larry Butz." "Very good," the judge said, "It would have looked bad if you couldn't even remember your own client's name. Just keep your wits about you like that and you'll do fine. Now, the second question. As you know, this is a murder trial. Can you tell me the victim's name?" "That would be Cindy Stone, Your Honor," Wright said. "Excellent," the judge said, "I'm impressed so far. And now the third and final question, what was the cause of death?" "According to the case file," Wright said, "She died after being struck once by a blunt object."

"Very good Mr. Wright," the judge said, "I think it's clear you have your wits about you, so we shall now proceed with the trial." Wright breathed a sigh of relief. He certainly felt a little more relaxed. "Now then," the judge said, "Mr. Payne. As we just discussed, the victim died after being struck by a blunt object. I understand you have that object with you as evidence." "Yes, Your Honor," Payne said, and he brought out a miniature version the "The Thinker" statue. "This statue was found lying on the floor next to the victim." "In that case," the judge said, "We'll have this statue added to the Court Record. Now then, the prosecution may call its first witness."

"Yes, Your Honor," Payne said, "The prosecution calls the defendant, Mr. Larry Butz, to the stand." _'I'd better do what I can to keep Larry calm,'_ Wright thought, _'He gets excited easily, and I know Payne's strategy for prosecution from experience.'_ Once Larry was brought to the witness stand, Payne said, "Now then Mr. Butz, isn't it true that the victim had dumped you recently?" "Watch it there, buddy!," Larry said, "My and Cindy were great together, like a couple in a fairytale romance! I didn't get dumped! She just wasn't taking my phone calls recently, that's all. But we still saw a lot of each other up until her trip."

"Ah yes," Payne said, "About that trip. Our investigation has shown that the victim had just returned from an overseas business trip the day before the murder, and that she was with some other man while there." "Big deal!," Larry said, "She works with other men all the time! In case you've hadn't noticed, she's a model! It's practically a given that she'd work with other guys! I was never bothered by it!" "Mr. Payne," the judge said, "How do you know of the victim's recent trip?" "We found her passport, Your Honor," Payne said, "According to it, she had been in Paris until the day before the murder." "Then let's have that passport added to the Court Record," the judge said.

Misa took a quick look at the passport. "It certainly seems she had been overseas until the day before the incident. But that's hardly proof of cheating. Besides, it sounds like the defendant knew about the trip." "That's cause she always told me when she'd be out of the country," Larry said, "And would always tell me when she got back. Seriously, what makes you think she was seeing other men outside of her job?" "Well the victim didn't have a very large income," Payne said, "In fact, it appears she had several 'Sugar Daddies' on the side."

Larry groaned. "Seriously, you're acting like this is all news to me. So she used a few older men to make some extra cash. She was always upfront about that, and always insisted what we had was real. Even if I didn't know about that, wouldn't that actually remove my supposed 'motive' for killing her." Wright chuckled at how flabbergasted Payne had become. "You told him about Payne ahead of time, didn't you?," Mia said with a smile. "Yeah," Wright said, "I warned him about all of Payne's tricks. I'm just glad he remembered how to use them."

"It appears the prosecution is having difficulty establishing motive," the judge, who was also chuckling. Payne cleared his throat. "Then let me ask another question. Is it true you went to the victim's apartment on the day of murder?" "Well yeah," Larry went, "I have a key after all. But she wasn't even there when I went, so I didn't even see her that day." "OBJECTION!," Payne called out, "Your Honor, I know for a fact the defendant is lying. And to prove it, I would like to call a witness who saw the incident in question. This man is the same one who discovered the body, and saw the defendant fleeing the scene of the crime!"

_'Someone may have seen Larry leave the apartment,' _Wright thought to himself, _'But who's to say he saw the actual crime. Looks like I'll get my first shot at a cross-examination, better not blow it.'_ "I'd like to ask a quick question," Misa said, "What was this witness doing near the apartment?" "His job," Payne said, "He's a newspaper salesman. Anyway, the prosecution calls Frank Sahwit to the stand." _'Newspaper salesman,' _Misa thought, _'Who sells newspapers in this day and age?'_

Into the courtroom walked a rather mousy-looking individual wearing a bright purple suit. His grayish-brown hair was well-combed, and there seemed to be a mole inbetween his eyebrows. "Name and occupation please," Payne said. "Yes, of course," Frank said, "My name is Frank Sahwit, and I sell newspaper subscriptions." "You may begin your testimony Mr. Sahwit," the judge said, "Bear in mind the defense has free-reign to object to any contradictions while you are speaking. First off, I'd like something cleared up right away. As I understand, the witness called the police using a public pay phone. Why not simply use the phone in the victim's apartment?"

"I can answer that, Your Honor," Payne said, "It turns out there a blackout in the building at the time of the murder. Normally phones are built to work even in a blackout, but some cordless phones don't function properly, such as the one inside the door of the victim's apartment. I happen to have a record of the blackout here with me." "I see," the judge said, "Then let's have this added to the Court Record. Now then Mr. Sahwit, your testimony please." Frank nodded. "I was going door-to-door, selling subscriptions when I saw a man fleeing the apartment. I thought he must be in a hurry because he left the door half-open behind him. Thinking it strange, I looked inside the apartment. Then I saw her lying there... A woman... Not moving... Dead! I thought to call the police immediately! However, the phone in her apartment wasn't working. I went to a nearby park and found a public phone. I remember the time exactly; It was 1:00 PM."

"OBJECTION!," Wright called out, "Are you positive that you found the body at 1:00 PM?" "Oh yes, quite sure," Frank said. "Then I find your statement hard to believe," Wright said, "Because it directly contradicts the autopsy report. It notes the time of death at some time after 4:00 PM, so there would be no corpse to discover at 1:00 PM! So, Mr. Sahwit, how do you explain that three-hour gap?" Frank seemed to be at a loss for words. "OBJECTION!," Payne called out, "This is trivial. Clearly the witness simply forgot the time." "I highly doubt that," the judge said, "Given the rest of his testimony. Mr. Sahwit, why are you so sure about the time being 1:00 PM?"

"Actually...," Frank said nervously, "I... Er... Think it may have been a misunderstanding on my part. If you'll allow me, I'd like give another testimony." "Very well," the judge said, "Let's hear you're explanation." "Of course," Frank said, "You see, when I found the body, I heard the time. There was a voice saying the time... It was probably coming from the television." "OBJECTION!," Wright called out, "The prosecution has already said there was a blackout at the time of the incident! He even provided a record, stating the blackout lasted from noon to 6:00 PM. The television wouldn't have been working."

Frank jumped a bit, and his hair seemed to come off briefly. "The defense has a point," the judge said, "Perhaps you have an explaination for this Mr. Sahwit?" "Not... Really," Frank said, sweating bullets, "I actually find it... Oh, wait! Now I remember! I'm sorry, the shock of finding a dead body must be playing tricks with me." "The court would appreciate an accurate testimony from the beginning," the judge said, "These constant corrections are hurting your credibility as a witness."

"Sure," Frank said, looking really nervous, "Actually, I didn't 'hear' the time... I 'saw' it! There was a table clock in the apartment, wasn't there! Yeah, the murder weapon! The killer used it to hit the victim!" "OBJECTION!," Wright called out, "The murder weapon wasn't a clock, it was this statue!" He brought out 'The Thinker' statue. Frank jumped again. "Damn it! You and your 'objections' and 'evidence'... Just who do think you are anyway!?" "A defense attorney," Wright said, "And unless you can explain how a statue can become a clock..."

"But it IS a clock!" Frank insisted, "I saw it there in the apartment!" "Well actually," Payne said, "The witness is telling the truth about that. The neck is a switch you see. Just tilt it, and it says the time out loud. As it doesn't look like a clock, I submitted it as a statue." "Okay, granted," Wright said, "But that still leaves a gaping hole in the witness's testimony. After all, the only way he could have known the weapon was a clock is to hold it in his hand, and yet he testified that he never entered the apartment. That's a serious contradiction!"

"Indeed," the judge said, "And how can you explain this?" "There's only one way to explain it," Wright said, "And that's to say that the witness is lying. Mr. Sahwit DID go inside the apartment on the day of the murder! In fact, I'm beginning to think the witness is the _real _killer in this incident! When he hit the victim, the shock of the blow must have triggered the clock's voice, which would have left quite the impression. It would have been burned right into his mind, which is why he was so certain about the time in his testimony." "OBJECTION!," Payne called out, "This is all baseless conjecture!"

"Baseless?," Wright said, "The look on the witness's face says otherwise!" Frank suddenly went off the deep end and grabbed his hair. Pulling it off, and revealing it to be a toupee, he threw it at Wright's head. Wright looked unamused as the toupee slid off his face. "As I was saying," Wright said, "I think it's time to provide more decisive evidence. Let's start off by sound the clock. I think doing that will prove this was the voice Mr. Sahwit heard." Wright tilted the neck of the neck of the statue. _"I think it's 8:25."_ "Well," Wright said, "We've heard the time from the clock. Mr. Payne, if you'd care to check your watch?"

Payne looked. "It's... 11:25." "And that explains the three-hour gap in the witness's testimony," Wright said. "Big deal," Frank said angrily," How do you know it was running three-hours slow on the day of the murder!?" "It's not when the clock was slow that's important to me," Wright said, "But rather why. After all, leaving a clock running three hours slow seems rather odd. However, I have proof that can explain why it was slow in the first place." He got out the victim's passport. "TAKE THAT! As was mentioned near the start of the trial, the victim had just returned home from abroad the day before the murder."

"Having traveled to Paris myself," Misa said, "I can tell you that the difference between there and here in Los Angeles is nine hours, meaning that when it's 4:00 PM here, it's 1:00 AM the next day there." "Basically what that means," Wright said, "Is that the clock wasn't three hours slow. Rather, it was nine hours fast! I'm willing to bet the victim hadn't had a chance to reset the clock when she returned, which is why the time the witness heard was off. So, Mr. Sahwit... Or should I say Mr. Did It... Care to try and talk your way out of this one?" Frank simply began foaming at the mouth before fainting to the floor.

After a bailiff escorted Frank out of the courtroom, the judge stroked his beard. "Well now, this case took an unexpected turn, hasn't it? Mr. Payne, what of the witness?" "He's been taken into custody, Your Honor," Payne said, clearly upset, "We're processing his arrest now." "Very good," the judge said, "And Mr. Wright, I must say, I'm very impressed. Not only did you complete that defense in record time, you also found the real guilty party in this murder. As such, I am ready to hand down judgement. The court finds the defendant, Larry Butz... NOT GUILTY!" He banged his gavel to finalize the trial. "Court is adjourned."

* * *

_August 3, 2:32 PM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 2_

"Turns out Frank Sahwit is just a common burglar," Misa said back in the lobby, "He only pretended to be a newspaper salesman to check and see when people would be out of their homes. One thing he never lied about, seeing Larry leave the victim's apartment. Sahwit must have thought it was Larry's apartment and went inside to do his dirty work." "I get it," Wright said, "And while he was doing that, Cindy returned and caught him. He must have gotten flustered and grabbed the nearest blunt object he could find. When he realized he had accidentally killed the poor woman, he came up with the idea to frame Larry for the murder."

"Well," Mia said, "It's too bad the weapon he used 'spoke' when he swung it. Otherwise his plan might have succeeded. Good job out there Nick. It's been a while since I've seen a trial end on such a satisfying note." Larry gave a heavy sigh. "I still can't believe what a low blow that was. I mean seriously, what did I ever do that guy." "Some people just get scared when they do bad things," Misa said, "They need a scapegoat to avoid getting caught. You just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time." "Story of my life," Larry said sadly, "Still, I'm glad Cindy brought that clock with her."

"Why's that?," Mia asked. "Cause it was a present I gave her," Larry said, "I made it myself. I always had a talent for art. I mean, sure she probably just needed a clock while she was in Paris, but I still think it says something that she chose to bring the statue clock with her. Speaking of..." He got out something from his backpack. "I actually made two of these. One for me and for her. But guess now I don't need mine since she's gone." He handed the statue to Wright. "Here," Larry said, "Something to spruce up the office. Seriously, thank you. I'm glad I asked you to be my lawyer."

As Larry walked out of the defendant lobby, Mia turned to Wright. "Say Nick. You never mentioned how you and Larry knew each other." Wright smiled. "Tell you what," Wright said, "When you decide it's a good time to tell me how you knew my ex-girlfriend, I'll tell you how me and Larry became friends." Mia smiled. "Okay, deal. We'll have to do that sometime soon." At that moment, Misa got a call on her cell. Her eyes lit up when she saw the number. "Hey, honey, how are you? Yeah the trial finished, and the defendant was found not guilty. Seriously, you should have seen Wright work. Yeah, looks like Near was right about him." She watched the two lawyers walk out of the defendant lobby. "I'm not sure if he's III material yet, but he could be... Given time."

Next case: Turnabout Sisters

**Well, that's another case done. Yeah, don't get used to this. This is the only case in the series that will be one chapter long. Next chapter is a whole new case, and things will take a dark turn from the get-go. So read and review.**


	10. Chapter 10: Turnabout Sisters Part 1

**I'll be honest; this next case is not one of my favorites. A main character dies (and a beloved one at that), the villain of the case is equal parts creepy, evil, and egotistical, and... It overall is terrible for me. But, I need to write it. There are events in this case that will become important for later down the road. So yeah, I'll just have to deal. Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, Persona, or Ace Attorney.**

Chapter 10: Turnabout Sisters Part 1

_September 5, 2016_

Teddie was in the Fey & Co. Law offices, waiting for Mia to finish her call. Something about how the phone looked just didn't seem right with him. Teddie was in his mid-twenties and was wearing a pair of loose-fitting jeans and solid blue t-shirt. His blonde hair was well-styled to the point where he almost looked like a movie star. The interesting thing about Teddie, more than anything else, was that despite his appearance, he was not human. Teddie was actually a living shadow, in fact the king of all shadows. Many years ago, after his host died of a terminal illness, Teddie had used his impressive powers to create a world for lost shadows to live in.

When an evil goddess tried to claim this world for herself in an effort to destroy humanity, Teddie's friends helped to stop her and restore his world to normal. Now he worked alongside humans to solve crimes across the globe. He sat in a corner of the room listening as Mia talked with someone on the other end of the phone. "Maya, it's me." 'Mia!,' came a young girl's voice, 'It's been so long since you called.' Mia smiled. "It certainly has. How have you been?" 'A bit lonely,' Maya replied, 'But still great. I'm starting to get used to having my own place.'

"Good," Mia said, "Listen, the reason I called is because I have a favor to ask." 'Let me guess,' Maya said, 'You need me to hold onto some evidence.' Mia giggled. "Sharp as always. With all the media buzz about the upcoming trial, I don't feel very safe keeping the evidence here with me." 'Alright,' Maya said, 'So what's the evidence?' "It's a clock," Mia said, "Shaped to look like 'The Thinker'. It actually tells you the time when you twist the neck. Or at least it used to. I had to take the mechanism out to make room for some important papers." 'Is that the evidence then?,' Maya asked. "That's right," Mia replied, "How about you come by at around 9:00 tonight? I'll be in a pretrial meeting until then."

While Mia was busy speaking, Teddie peeked inside the miniature statue. Sure enough, there were the papers. Teddie carefully took them out and replaced them with a blank sheet of paper. His eyes glowed yellow as he imparted a special shadow spell on the paper. 'I'll come by,' Maya said, 'But I expect dinner afterward... Say, burgers?' Mia giggled. "It's always burgers with you, but alright. I'll see you then." 'Okay sis,' Maya said, 'Later.' Mia hung up the phone. Teddie had already hidden the papers under his shirt, tucked into his jeans. "Well then," he said to Mia, "Shall we head for the meeting?"

* * *

_September 5, 8:57 PM_

_Fey & Co. Law Offices_

The large man slammed Mia into the window. "Now then, Ms. Fey, I'll take those papers back." Mia struggled to look at her attacker. "I'm sorry, I can't give you what I don't have." The man simply grinned and let go of Mia's collar. "You really are terrible at lying, Ms. Fey." He walked over to the desk and picked up the statue. "So this is 'The Thinker'. Quite a good likeness." He reached into the hollow spot and pulled out the blank paper that Teddie had placed inside. At first Mia was afraid the man would be angry he was looking at a blank piece of paper, but then noticed his eyes turn a shade of purple.

_'Teddie,'_ Mia thought, _'He must have used one of his shadow spells.'_ "You're probably wondering how I knew about this," the man said, "Well, let's just say I have my talents... And resources. Crucial things to have when one is in the business of... Information." Mia closed her eyes in frustration. _'He knew... Teddie knew this man was listening. And now that he thinks he has what he wants... Diego... I hope I can at least see you again in another way.' _The man lifted the statue over Mia's head. "Now that I have this... I need only your eternal silence!" He swung the statue down onto Mia's head. The last words out of her mouth were, "Red... White... Blue..."

* * *

_September 5, 9:08 PM_

_Fey & Co. Law Offices_

"I just have this terrible feeling that something may happen to Mia," Teddie said to Wright as they walked down to the office, "This case she's on is very important... And there are certain people who would prefer it to go their way." Wright checked his watch. "Man, I can't believe how late I am. We were supposed to join the chief's sister for dinner tonight." As they got to the office, they noticed the front door was open. A familiar smell came to both men's noses. "Uh oh...," Wright muttered, and he and Teddie ran into the office.

The office itself was in shambles, as if there had been a struggle. The sound of someone sobbing came to Wright's ears. Right by the window, next to Mia's unconscious form, was a young girl dressed in purple priestess robes with a beaded necklace around her neck. Her long black hair was done up in a topknot, with most of it still falling to her waist. The girl was kneeling next to Mia, crying her eyes out. It took Wright a second to find out what was going on. "Oh no... Chief..." Teddie put a hand to Mia's mouth to check for breathing. "No good... She's gone..."

The girl sobbed out loud. "SIS! NO!" Before Wright could ask who the girl was, she fainted. Sighing, Wright and Teddie got the poor young girl onto the sofa in the main office, then went back inside to see what could have happened to Mia. "Judging from how warm she was until a little while ago," Teddie said, "I'd say this was a recent killing." He did a cursory check for wounds. "Looks like she was struck on the very top of her skull. Blunt force, from the look of it. A heavy blow too. If she was standing when she was hit, she would have crumbled quickly. There's a good chance she may have died instantly."

"Wonder what weapon the killer used," Wright said. He looked near the body and noticed the statue Larry had given Mia. _'These little statues seem to cause more pain than happiness. Like a certain other present I know...'_ Teddie observed the statue without touching it. "There's blood on the base of this statue. We'd need a coroner to confirm but there's a good chance this is our murder weapon." He snapped a picture of it using his cellphone, then went to get his bag from the main office. Coming back inside, he opened the bag to get out his forensic kit. He slipped on a pair of rubber gloves and brought out a large plastic evidence bag. He then picked up the statue and placed it in the bag.

"Hold on," Wright said, "Aren't you worried about compromising the scene?" "Why do you think I took a picture?," Teddie said, "I am a detective after all. Just let me get to the bottom of this." He walked back over to the body and noticed a glass light stand had been knocked over. He took a picture of the downed stand and collected some of the glass shards. "I wonder how this light stand got knocked over," he said. He then noticed something clutched in Mia's hand. "Interesting," he said, "This looks a like a receipt of some kind."

After he snapped a picture of the receipt, he carefully picked it up with tweezers. Wright took a look. "This is receipt is dated yesterday. But what is this blood on the other side?" Teddie flipped it over. "'Maya'. I wonder who that is. Judging from the blood on Mia's fingers, her hand was used to write this. But did she do it herself... Or did someone do it for her to cover their tracks?" He placed the receipt in another bag. Wright walked over to the phone. "I think it best if we call the police on this. We also need to find out what that girl is doing here." He then noticed something odd about the phone. "Hold on... Some of the screws in the receiver are loose."

At that moment, there was a scream of, "Police!? Please, come quick!" Teddie took a quick look out the window to see a young woman in hotel across from the office. She was holding a phone to her ear. "Hmm," Teddie said, "Well, that solves our problem. But now it's going to get awkward when the cops show up. We'd better hurry and ask that girl some questions." They found the girl having just woken up, probably from the scream. "Excuse me," Wright said, "But can I ask your name please? It's alright, I happen to work here." The girl seemed to hesitate. "Maya... Maya Fey..."

Teddie raised an eyebrow. _'That's the name written on the receipt. But why would someone write Maya's name on this?'_ "Can you tell us what happened?," Wright asked Maya. "Well," Maya said, "I came in, and the whole room was dark. And then I found Sis... Like..." "I take it you're Mia's younger sister, right?," Teddie asked. Maya nodded. "Mia had asked me to come here to hold onto some important evidence for her. She said it was inside the clock that looks like 'The Thinker'." Teddie showed Maya the receipt. "This was found next to your sister. It looks like it was written in her own blood."

Maya looked at the name and became flabbergasted. "Hold on! That's MY name! Why would she write that!?" "Right now, I don't know whether or not it was her that wrote it," Teddie said. At that moment, the sound of police sirens could be heard outside the building. Into the room burst Dick Gumshoe, his jacket looking a little dirtier after several years. He held his gun at the trio. "FREEZE! POLICE!" Teddie, Wright, and Maya quickly put their hands up. "Easy Gumshoe," Teddie said, "I'm a detective of the III. My ID is in my back right pocket." After Gumshoe confirmed Teddie's ID, he lowered his gun.

"Who is this guy?," Wright asked. "I'm Detective Dick Gumshoe, see?," Gumshoe said, "We got a call from the building across the way about a murder here." "The body is in the office behind us," Teddie said, "You'll find several pieces of evidence already collected and documented by myself. I've made sure to take pictures to preserve the crime scene as much as possible." He handed Gumshoe his cellphone. Gumshoe nodded and took a look. After a bit, he showed the receipt to the group. "Does this mean anything to you guys?" Maya gulped. "It's my name..."

"Hold on!," Gumshoe said, "This was written by the victim in her own blood. And who's name would she write but the killer's!?" "But this girl is the victim's sister," Teddie said, "Right now we don't have a motive for why someone would kill her." Gumshoe sighed. "Alright, alright," Gumshoe said, "Let's start with questioning first, then the arrest... If it comes to it." Despite Teddie's words, and the results of his investigation so far, Maya was arrested on purely circumstantial evidence. Wright and Teddie waited around all night for visiting hours to begin at the detention center.

* * *

_September 6, 9:07 AM_

_Detention Center_

_Visitor's Room_

Wright and Teddie visited with Maya the morning. "Hey," she said, understandably upset, "Good Morning. So, are you here to be my attorney?" "That depends," Wright said, "Teddie is sure you are innocent, and having met you, I believe him. But ultimately... It's really up to you whether or not you want my help." Maya nodded. "Thanks... I guess... At least someone believes me. Then again, Sis told me all about the III and how it operates. Something about it being formed in response to a serial killer who could somehow induce heart attacks." _'Wow,'_ Teddie said, _'Almost four years since we closed the Kira case, and people are _still _talking about it.'_

Maya turned to Wright. "I've heard about you too. Sis mentioned you, when we were talking on the phone the other day. She said you were amazing in your first time in court. Completely steamrolled the prosecution." _'Mia said that?,'_ Wright thought, _'Wow...'_ "Only thing is," Maya said, "She said you still lack experience." Wright slumped. "Well, I guess you have me there. But I can't just sit back and watch while you're falsely accused. Why did you get arrested anyway? I thought for sure Teddie had given a valid argument." "I don't know," Maya said, "Mr. Teddie said it was too early to make an arrest, but for some reason the Chief Prosecutor said the name written in blood was all the evidence they needed."

"These guys don't even have a valid motive for you," Teddie said, "I smell a rat. Someone's trying to manipulate the system." Wright nodded. "That reminds me, Maya. I forgot to ask about your outfit. Why are you wearing that?" Maya looked at her robes. "This? This is just my uniform as an acolyte." "Wait," Wright said, his hand on his chin, "Are you saying you're part of a religious group?" Maya looked embarrassed. "Sort of. See, I happen to be a spirit medium. Well, a medium in training anyway." "So Maya," Teddie said, "What happened on the day of the murder?"

Maya tried to think. "Let's see... First I got a call on my cellphone from Sis. She was preparing for an upcoming trial and needed some evidence to be kept safe." "Right," Teddie said, "I heard about that. Looks like that trial going to be postponed for the time being." "So what was the evidence?," Wright asked. "Apparently," Maya said, "It was a miniature version of 'The Thinker'." "Mia got that from a friend of mine," Wright said, "But how could it have been evidence in a case?" "Well," Maya said, "I can't remember for sure, but I know the conversation we had was recorded on my cellphone."

"Detective Gumshoe has the phone on him," Teddie said, "It was confiscated as evidence. If we're lucky, he won't know how important it is." Wright nodded. "Here," Maya said, writing something down, "This note will help you remember." Teddie took the memo from Maya. "Thanks." "Say Maya," Wright said, "You said earlier you're a medium-in-training. Can you tell me about that?" "Sure," Maya said, "You see, the Fey Family, especially the women, have always had strong connections to the spirit world. Like the spirit sitting next to Mr. Teddie."

Teddie became flabbergasted. "Hold on... You can see my Persona?" "Is that what the round object is?," Maya said, "What are the claws for?" "Teddie," Wright said, "What's a 'Persona' and how come only Maya can see it?" "A Persona is a representation of a beings true inner strength," Teddie explained, "A sort of... Alternate personality that can be called upon to overcome hardship. Mine happens to be called Kamui. All my friend have one, and so do several members of III." Wright nodded, then realized something.

"Hold on a sec Maya. You said 'the Fey Family'. Are you saying Mia was also into this stuff?" Maya smiled. "Of course she was! She left the mountain where we live to 'follow her career'." "You know," Teddie said, "I had the impression Mia has spiritual powers. After her initiation into III, she asked Light about the various Persona in the room." "Yeah," Maya said with a big smile on her face, "My sister's power were top-class!" Wright suddenly had a thought. "Say Maya, would it be possible for you to contact Mia's spirit to ask who killed her?"

"I'm afraid it won't be that simple," Teddie said, "I can sense it. Some form of doubt is blocking her full power." Wright sighed. "Oh well, I guess that would have been too easy." "Oh, that reminds me," Maya said, and she handed Wright another note. "This is the address of a famous lawyer. My sister gave me this, and said if I was ever in trouble, I should contact this person for help. Right now, I don't have anyone else to turn to." "What about your parents?," Wright asked. Maya suddenly turned sad. Wright closed his eyes in understanding. "I see. Don't worry, I'll take care of everything."

As Wright and Teddie left the detention center, Teddie said, "If this person can't help her, the state will provide a public defender for her." "They won't last more than five minutes against a professional prosecutor," Wright said, "We have until 4:00 this afternoon. If this person won't help, I'll do it myself. Let's start by getting Maya's phone back. I'd like to hear the full details of that conversation." Teddie could tell there was determination in Wright's eyes. _'He understands what Maya's going through... In more ways than one. And now he has a stronger ally to help him... Right Kamui?'_

* * *

_September 6_

_Fey & Co. Law Offices_

When Wright and Teddie got back to the law offices, they found the place swarming with police combing the building for clues. Suddenly, someone called out, "Hey! This is a crime scene! No trespassing!" Teddie and Wright turned to see Gumshoe standing nearby. Gumshoe eyed Wright for a bit. "Hey, I think I know you... Yeah, you're that lawyer from the Butz case. The guy who set the record for fastest defense! Now, what was your name again...?" "Phoenix Wright," Wright said, "And this is III member Doug Teddie. And your name was Dick Gumshoe, right?"

"That's right," Gumshoe said, "Been a detective for around five years. And let me tell you, my career almost ended prematurely." "Oh yeah," Teddie said, "That incident in the courthouse where the defendant and prosecution of a trial were murdered in one of the defendant lobbies. III is still trying to track down the killer. I can't believe L let her slip through his fingers." "Well," Gumshoe said, "Even the world's greatest detective can have an off day. So, you're here to help that kid, huh? Well, if you've got business here, do it quick, pal. We're working the crime scene to see if we can piece together how all this went down."

"To start with," Teddie said, "Has the autopsy been performed yet?" "Sure," Gumshoe said, "Here's a copy of the report." Teddie tucked the autopsy report into his bag. _'Just in case,'_ he thought, _'I'll stop by the coroner's office later. These prosecutor's always order more than one autopsy just to be safe.'_ "Anyway, pal," Gumshoe said, "If you're planning on being the kid's lawyer... Well, I'd be prepared for a downhill spiral. See, the city put Miles Edgeworth on the prosecution!" Wright closed his eyes. "Yeah... I've heard of him. I've heard a lot about him. They say he doesn't feel any pain or remorse, and only cares about getting his 'guilty' verdict."

"Geez, pal," Gumshoe said, "You make him sound barely human. I mean, I practically owe the guy my life here!" "Yeah," Teddie said, "And he really changed after that day. But just because he's on the case doesn't make the defendant automatically guilty. I will give the guy some credit, though. At least he legitimately hates crime. And so far he's done a good job of spotting true criminals." "Yeah," Wright said, "He hasn't lost a case yet, but there are all those rumors about the way he does things. Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Gumshoe, did you get a look at Maya Fey's phone?"

"Yeah," Gumshoe said, "I still have it on me, but didn't find any suspicious call records on it." "I'd like to have a look for myself," Teddie said, "I've been working as a detective longer than you, so I have a better idea as to what call records would be important." "Sure, I guess," Gumshoe said, and he handed Teddie the phone. "One last thing. Don't bother talking to the witness, pal. She has strict instructions not to say anything until trial tomorrow." Teddie scratched his chin. _'I bet he means that woman in the hotel room.'_ He looked at Gumshoe. "So there was a witness, then?" "Yeah," Gumshoe said, "Ms. April May. I can't really tell you anything more besides that."

"So," Wright said, "You sent her home then?" "Don't try anything funny, pal," Gumshoe said, "She has strict instructions not to leave her hotel room until tomorrow." Teddie grinned. "Wright, you should know better than to try and get a detective to leak information." Wright scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess that teaches me, huh? Well, I guess that's all for today." The two of them walked out of the office. Once they were out of earshot, Wright said, "Gumshoe must not realize we saw that woman last night." "He also didn't realize how important the call Mia made to her sister was," Teddie said, "So then... Let's go meet Ms. May."

* * *

_September 6_

_Gatewater Hotel_

_Room 303_

After asking for Ms. May's room number, Teddie and Wright found the door and knocked. Sure enough, the woman who opened the door was the same person they had seen out the window last night. She was very attractive, curvaceous and voluptuous, and dressed in a bright pink dress with sleeves that seemed to long for her and decorated with pink hearts down the middle. Her hair was also bright pink and very short. "Why hello there handsome," she said, "Are you that lawyer and detective I was told about?" "Looks like Gumshoe found out our plan after all," Teddie said, "I take you're April May."

"Sure am," April said with a wink, "And what's you're name cutie?" "Don't bother with the whole flirtatious routine," Teddie said, "We're here on business." April giggled. "I know. This is about the horrible event last night. Really, it all seems just like a movie. It's so exciting I can barely contain myself! Excuse me while I freshen up to look the part." As she left, Wright noticed there were two glasses on the table in the room. "Looks like she had company earlier." Teddie then noticed a screwdriver sticking out of one of the drawers in the dresser. "Well, that's out of place."

"Hey!," April said, rushing back into the room, "You shouldn't go prying into other people's rooms like that." "I'm a detective," Teddie said, "It's my job to pry. But so long as you're here, I'd like you to answer a few questions." "Oh, how exciting," April said, "This is just like one of those detective grills in the movies... Except, where's your notebook?" Teddie showed April his tape recorder. "I prefer this. Less chance of the information getting erased." April looked disappointed. "Well anyway, I'm not supposed to tell anyone anything about the bad thing that happened until tomorrow. That's what the detective from earlier said... Sorry."

"Say Ms. May," April said, "Just what is your occupation anyway?" April winked. "Sorry, but this girl knows who to keep her secrets." "This is getting us nowhere," Wright said, "Can you at least tell us about the person you're staying with?" He pointed to the two glasses on the table to indicate how he knew. "Now, now," April said, "I'm not interested in nosy little lawyers." She winked again. "This girl's gonna be a nightmare tomorrow," Teddie said, "We're getting nowhere. Let's see what can do about Maya's request." He and Wright left the hotel room.

* * *

_September 6_

_Grossberg Law Offices_

As the two men walked into the offices, they were greeted by Marvin Grossberg in his office. "Greetings," he said, "I understand you were wanted to speak with me?" "That's right," Wright said, "My name is Phoenix Wright, and this is Doug Teddie." Grossberg noted the small brass badge on Wright's collar. "I take it you are a defense attorney, correct?" Wright nodded. "I'm here on behalf of Maya Fey. I believe you know her older sister Mia." Grossberg suddenly hung his head. "Ah, yes... Mia used to work for me several years ago. I heard about the recent... Incident. But I'm afraid I simply can't this case on only a day's notice."

Teddie raised an eyebrow. "Hold on. How did you even hear about this? We haven't even explained what it is we want to ask you." Grossberg cleared his throat nervously. "I-I'm sorry... But right now we're very busy here and can't represent the poor girl." "Why not!?," Wright said, "Give me a good reason. You just said Mia once worked for you. Don't you owe her at least this much. She trusted you... Counted on you take care of Maya should anything bad happen." "I'm very sorry," Grossberg said sadly, "But I'm afraid I can't take the case."

"Fine then!," Wright shouted, "I'll just have to find someone else!" Grossberg shook his head. "I don't think so. No lawyer worth their salt would take this particular case." "Don't bet on it," Teddie said, "I know a number of lawyers who would risk their own careers just to protect that poor girl." Wright calmed down at Teddie's words. "Say that reminds me," Wright said, "I remember you from that day I was falsely accused of murder myself." "Ah yes," Grossberg said, "I thought you looked familiar. It was hard to recognize you without the medical mask."

Wright nodded. "If Mia was working with you that day, why did she leave to open her own office?" "Well, she always was a bright apprentice," Grossberg said, "She learned everything I could teach her in the blink of an eye. Clearly it was time for her to strike it out on her own. That, and she her mission to attend." Wright rubbed his chin. _'I wonder what this "mission"_ _was.'_ Teddie then noticed the painting in the back of the office. "That's a little ostentatious." "Ah yes," Grossberg said, "My pride and joy! I realize it may not be to some people's taste, but I find it rather splendid. I wouldn't part with this painting for the world."

Wright sighed. "Well, if you won't help, the I guess I only have one choice." He walked out of the office with Teddie behind him. "What are you planning on doing?," Teddie asked. "After we tell Maya the bad news," Wright said, "I'm going to insist on being allowed to defend her in court. Edgeworth will steamroll any public defender there is, but I may have a chance, even without experience." Teddie nodded. "Alright, you go tell Maya, I have a few stops to make." And with that, they parted ways.

* * *

_September 6, 3:42 PM_

_Detention Center_

_Visitor's Room_

Wright stepped into the visitor's room where Maya. "Hey there," Maya said, "Where's Mr. Teddie?" "He has other work to do," Wright said, "Listen Maya, I was able to find the lawyer you sent me to but..." He sighed. "I'm afraid he refused to help. He wouldn't give a reasonable explanation. Kept avoiding the subject whenever I brought it up." Maya hung her head. "So... I've been abandoned then." Wright sighed. "May be you could start by telling me all you know about the day of the murder?" "Okay," Maya said, "Earlier that morning I had gotten a call from my sister, saying she wanted me to hold on to some important evidence for her."

"Alright," Wright said, "What time did you arrive at the office?" Maya took a second to think. "I'd say right around 9:00 that evening. When I got inside, all the lights were off... And I could smell blood coming from Sis's office. And that's when I found her... Just lying there... Not moving... I didn't realize she was dead until I tried to wake her." Wright nodded, understanding. "What about your other family?" Maya shed a single tear. "I only had my sister. My father died when I very little... And my mother disappeared many years ago." "You told me your family has strong spiritual powers," Wright said, "Is that really true?"

Maya nodded. "Most people who have heard of us say ESP runs in our blood. About fifteen years ago, our family became involved in a incident. You see, there was this man who... Well, he basically ruined our family's life. Mother disappeared shortly after that. Then about seven or so years ago, my sister announced her decision to become a lawyer and left the mountain." "I see," Wright said, "So you've been all alone since then." Maya nodded. "But I've gotten used to it since. Besides, if I didn't become independent, I'd lose my ESP."

"Maya," Wright said, "Do you know who this man was who 'ruined' your mother?" Maya seemed hesitant, then said, "It was fifteen years ago that a strange murder case occurred. Everyone was talking about it. The police, desperate for any sort of lead, talked to my mother and convinced her to contact the victim's spirit. But something strange happened. The man the spirit pointed to was innocent. For whatever reason, the spirit lied. Naturally the police's involvement with a medium was covered up, but someone found out and leaked it to the press."

"I get it," Wright said, "He made it sound like your mother was a fraud and the media jumped on it hard." Maya nodded. "My sister said his name was... White. That's all I know about him. Anyway, I guess it's almost time for the state-appointed lawyer to show up." Wright smiled. "You won't be needing him. I'll be defending you myself, and that's the end of it! The reason I became a lawyer is to look out for those who no one on their side." He closed his eyes and thought, _'Like what happened to me when I was in grade school.'_

He opened his eyes and smiled. "I owe everything to Mia, so I won't abandon you under any circumstances." Maya cheered up and smiled. "Thank you! You have no idea..." Wright nodded. _'Teddie believes this girl is innocent, and so do I. Now I just have to hope he pulls through on the rest of his investigation. I remember that woman was getting defensive when Teddie tried to open her dresser drawer. Something has to be hidden inside. He also said something about checking in with the coroner just in case they were told to make a separate autopsy.'_

* * *

_September 6_

_Gatewater Hotel_

_Room 303_

As Teddie approached the room where April was staying, a bellboy approached. "Greetings, sir," the bellboy said, "Pardon my intrusion, I was simply delivering room service to Ms. May. Please, feel free to stay as long as you like." Teddie looked around the room, which was empty. "And where is Ms. May?" The bellboy cleared his throat. "I believe she is presently using the facilities. Ah yes, and you should see Ms. May, would you tell her there is a message for her from Mr. White of Bluecorp." Teddie nodded, and the bellboy left the room.

Once he saw the room was empty, Teddie quickly opened the drawer where the screwdriver was sticking out. Inside he found a small black box with wires sticking out of it. _'This is a wiretap,'_ Teddie thought, _'What would someone like April May want with this? I'd better keep this around.'_ After carefully collecting the evidence, Teddie left the room and called Wright. "Got some good stuff Nick. I was right about the second autopsy, and have the updated report with me. Bad news and good news, but you'll have to read it for yourself. I also found a little something hidden by Ms. May. I'll show at trial tomorrow." 'Alright' Wright said, 'Maya's given me permission to defend her. Tomorrow will certainly prove interesting.'

To be continued...

**Sorry this took so long, but like I said this case is not one of favorites. Oh well, read and review.**


	11. Chapter 11: Turnabout Sisters Part 2

**Part 2 of this case. And for those of you who have played the game, expect a few key differences. Disclaimer: I don't Death Note, Persona, or Ace Attorney.**

Chapter 11: Turnabout Sisters Part 2

_September 7, 10:00 AM_

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 1_

Wright and Teddie took their places at the Defense's Bench. The usual judge was their, as was Edgeworth on the opposite side of the courtroom. Edgeworth was now dressed in a more modern purple suit with a smaller cravat. The judge banged his gavel to start the trial. "The court is now is session for the trial of Maya Fey." As both the defense and prosecution confirmed they were ready, Wright thought to himself, _'I'd better not show any signs of weakness, or Edgeworth will be on me in a second.'_ "Let's proceed then," the judge said, "Mr. Edgeworth, your opening statement if you please."

"Of course, Your Honor," Edgeworth said, "We know the defendant, Ms. Maya Fey, was at the scene of the crime. We also have evidence that it was she who committed this murder, as well as a witness who saw her as she committed the act. The prosecution sees no reason to doubt the facts, Your Honor." "Depending on the context," Teddie said, "Fact can quickly become fiction. There is a difference between what is fact, and what is truth." "Well, we'll see soon enough if the facts do indeed lead to the truth of this case," the judge said, "Mr. Edgeworth, you may call your first witness."

Edgeworth nodded. "The prosecution calls the chief officer at the scene, Detective Dick Gumshoe." Once Gumshoe entered the courtroom and stood at the witness stand, Edgeworth said, "If the witness would please give his name and occupation?" "Dick Gumshoe, chief detective in homicide," Gumshoe said. "Detective Gumshoe," Edgeworth said, "If you would please describe the details of the murder for us." Gumshoe got out a floor map of the crime scene. "Let me use this to explain. The body was found slumped under the window here. We determined the cause of death was due to being struck by a blunt object. The murder weapon was a statue of 'The Thinker' which was found next to the body."

"The weight of that statue would have made it into a deadly weapon," Edgeworth said, "Even in a girl's hands." "Yeah," Teddie said, "But would she have been able to reach the top of the victim's skull? That's where the fatal wound is." "We'll get to that in a bit," Edgeworth said, "I'd like to first prove beyond a doubt that the defendant is the culprit in this murder." The judge took a look at the statue. "I've seen this statue before somewhere... Ah yes, it was also the murder weapon in the case of Cindy Stone. I didn't realize there was more than one. Anyway, both the statue and the floor plans will be added to the court record."

"Now then," Edgeworth said, "I believe Ms. Fey was arrested at the scene correct?" "Against my recommendation," Teddie grumbled. "Well, we did have hard evidence," Gumshoe said. "Perhaps you would care to testify as to this 'hard evidence'," the judge said, "Be aware that the defense is free to speak up should he find anything wrong with the testimony at any time." Gumshoe nodded. "Sure thing, pal. As soon as the phone call came in, I rushed to the scene! There were three people there already: Maya Fey, Phoenix Wright, and Doug Teddie. I immediately arrested Maya Fey! Why? We had a witness account describing her!"

"HOLD IT!," Wright called out, "I'd hardly call one woman's testimony 'hard evidence'" "The defense is correct, detective," the judge said, "Perhaps you would care to testify as to more concrete evidence of the defendant's guilt?" "Oh, right," Gumshoe said, "Sorry, I got the order of things mixed up Your Honor. There's something I should have said first." "We're all ears," Wright said. "Alright then," Gumshoe said, "After securing the suspect, I examined the scene of the crime with my own eyes. Teddie had already found and documented several piece of evidence, which I went over. One of these was a memo written on a piece of paper that had been found next to the victim's body! On it, the word 'Maya' was written clearly in blood! Lab test results showed that the blood was the victim's! Also, there was blood found on the victim's finger! Before she died, the victim wrote the killer's name!"

"OBJECTION!," Wright called out, "You're basically saying the Mia Fey wrote down her own sister's name as the killer, correct?" "Well, yeah," Gumshoe said, "Who else could have written it!?" "Not Mia," Wright said, "For a very simple reason. According to the most recent autopsy report, it says the victim may have survived for a few seconds after the attack. However, what normally happens to people when they receive a blow to the head of that severity." "Well," the judge said, "They'd probably pass out. You see it all the time in boxing matches." "Exactly," Wright said, "By the time Mia could have gotten up to write the note, she would already have been dead."

Edgeworth scratched his chin. "Wright, I'll admit the copy of the autopsy report you have is the same as mine, but I'd like to ask where you got it from. I only got my updated report this morning." "Teddie had made a little trip to the coroner's office yesterday," Wright explained, "He thought there was a chance you would order a second autopsy for whatever reason. However, this updated version still let's me make the claim that the victim couldn't have written that note." Edgeworth flinched. "Well... I see you've picked up a few tricks from your late boss. Finding objections in the smallest things and distracting from the big picture."

"Small things add up," Wright said, "So who do you think wrote that note? It couldn't have been the defendant, since it would only implicate her. Or do you plan on finding another avenue by which to prove Ms. Fey's guilt?" "Either way," the judge said, "I believe we should include this updated version of the autopsy report in the Court Record." Edgeworth cleared his throat. "We'll have to solve the mystery of that note later. For now I think it best if we call the witness, someone who can prove it was the defendant who killed the victim."

"You mean that young lady from the hotel across from the crime scene?," Teddie said, "Sure, bring her on." "Very well," Edgeworth said with a smirk, "The prosecution calls Ms. April May to the stand." April walked into the room, bouncing as she did. When she got to the witness stand, Edgeworth said, "Name and occupation please." "My name is April May," April said, "And I'm a secretary at Bluecorp." _'Bluecorp,'_ Teddie thought to himself, _'So does this mean she works for this "Mr. White"?'_ "Ms. May," Edgeworth said, "Would you tell us where you were on the night of September 5, when the murder occurred?"

April tapped her cheek in thought. "Well, I was in my hotel room. I had checked in just after lunch." Edgeworth nodded. "And the hotel is directly across from the Fey & Co. Law Offices, correct?" "I guess so," April said, "I didn't know it was a lawyer's work place until after I saw the whole thing." "Then perhaps you could testify as what you saw that night," the judge said. "Okay," April said, "It was, like, 9:00 at night. I looked out the window, y'know! And then, oooh! I saw a woman being attacked! The one attacking her was the mousey girl sitting in the defendant's chair!"

"HOLD IT!," Wright called out, "How are you so sure it was the defendant you saw?" April tapped her cheek again. "Well... It was because of her girlish physique. Isn't that obvious?" "There was only one person at the crime scene with a girlish physique," Edgeworth said, "Her testimony is quite bulletproof." "Not quite," Wright said, "Cause something about it stinks to me. You see, if the witness really had witnessed the crime, she would have mentioned my client's clothes before her physique!" He motioned over to where Maya was sitting. "Other than her, I can't think of anyone who wears this sort of outfit on a daily basis. And her hairstyle doesn't really seem that normal." He looked over to Maya. "No offense."

April seemed a little dumbfounded. "The fact is," Wright said, "That the witness hasn't mentioned either of these in her testimony." "But," Edgeworth said, "How do we know she was dressed like that on the night of the murder?" "We know," Wright said, "Teddie, myself, and even Detective Gumshoe saw her wearing those exact same clothes that very night. So Ms. May, what do you say to that?" "What do you mean?," April said, "I saw what I saw... I just didn't think something so trifling would matter." "In a court of law," the judge said, "There's no such thing as a trifling matter. You are required to mention everything you saw in your testimony."

April winked. "I'm sorry Your Honor. I'll be a good girl from now on." "Then if you would give your testimony again," the judge said, "And this time spare no detail." April nodded. "I did see everything! I did! The victim - The woman - dodged the first attack and ran off to the right. Then the girl in the hippie clothes ran after her... And she hit her with that weapon! I saw it! I did! That... That clock! Um... The statue-y clock? 'The Thinker' I think?" "OBJECTION!," Wright called out, "Very interesting of your to say that Ms. May. I'll grant you one thing, you are correct in saying this statue is a clock. Problem is, there's no way to tell that just by looking at it."

April flinched. "What... What do you mean?" "Funny thing," Wright said, "I remember in my last case a person in your position also called this a 'clock'. Shortly after that... He was found guilty of murder. So Ms. May, how did you know this is a clock?" "OBJECTION!," Edgeworth called out, "This is a trivial concern. The fact that the witness saw the crime is all that matters." "OBJECTION!," Wright called out, "I'm not so sure it's so trivial. After all, how could the witness have known about this being a clock without holding it in her hand." "The defense has a valid point," the judge said, "Objection sustained. Ms. May, you will answer the question. How did you know about the statue being a clock."

"Well," April said, "I heard it." "Is that right," Wright said, "So have you been to the Fey & Co. Law Offices before?" "What, no," April said, "When did I say that? I heard it from my hotel room." "The law offices are very close to the hotel," Edgeworth said, "She could have heard it easily." "I'm afraid I still find her story hard to swallow," Wright said, "After all, this clock is missing its clockwork. Have a look for yourself, Your Honor." The judge looked inside the clock. "Indeed, it is as the defense says. The clock has been completely hollowed out." "Very well," Edgeworth said, "I'll grant the clock is empty... Now. But what about at the time of the murder?"

"Why do I get the feeling you knew the clock was empty the whole time?," Wright said, "But no matter. I've had this sort of problem before, and this time I came prepared... With solid evidence that the clock was indeed empty on the night of the murder." He brought out Maya's cellphone. "TAKE THAT! This is the defendant's cellphone. On it is a recording of a conversation the defendant had with the victim on the morning of the incident." "What?," Edgeworth said, "I was never informed of this!" "I guess Gumshoe forgot to mention to you," Teddie said, "As well as L's good advice."

_"Alright, so what's the evidence?" "It's a clock, shaped to look like 'The Thinker'. It actually tells you the time when you twist the neck. Or at least it used to. I had to take the mechanism out to make room for some important papers." "September 5, 9:27 AM."_ "I'd say that makes it clear the clockwork was already gone," Wright said, "This was recorded in the morning, before the witness had even arrived at the hotel!" April flinched again. Wright glared at her. "Well, Ms. May, care to explain this one?" "Oh, well," April said, looking flustered, "I had seen it before of course. Now what was it... I go to so many..."

"Sorry," Wright said, "But that contradicts a piece of evidence already submitted to the court." He presented the statue again. "TAKE THAT! This clock statue was never in a store, ever! And I know this, because it was made by a friend of mine. In fact, there are only two of them in the whole world. The only other one that exists in a police evidence locker!" April was dumbfounded. "That's impossible! Everything's sold in stores!" "Someone needs to get in touch with reality," Teddie said, "Maybe you should shop for a better excuse, or are they not on sale?"

April got so flustered, she actually started to lose some of her girlish charm as the hearts on her dress spun upside down. "What's it to you anyway!," she screamed, "That stupid clock doesn't matter at all! I saw her do it, that's all that really matters here!" "Let's calm down here," the judge said, "I'm afraid the defense has made a valid point. Just how did you know the weapon was a clock?" "I can tell you that," Wright said, "I know for a fact the witness had never held the clock in her hand. However, she did hear that it was a clock. Allow me to show how she could have heard this."

He brought out the wiretap. "TAKE THAT! This device was found by Teddie when he was investigating Ms. May's room yesterday. Please note that as an official Private Investigator, he has legal right to search any location of interest." The judge looked at the device. "This is... A wiretap, isn't it?" "It is indeed Your Honor," Wright said, "And I have every reason to believe that Ms. May was using it to tap into the victim's phone lines." "OBJECTION!," Edgeworth called out, "This is irrelevant." "Overruled," the judge said, "I believe it is far from irrelevant." "But this is outrageous," Edgeworth said, "Is the defense truly saying the witness was tapping the victim's phone lines."

"She was," Wright said, "And don't forget the piece of the phone conversation I played earlier has the victim saying the weapon was a clock. So Ms. May, care to prove me wrong!?" April simply started shaking. "Just... Shut up! What gives you the right to talk to ME like I'm the bad girl!?" Then she started bawling. "Well Ms. May," Teddie said, "I'm afraid we have to do our job here. Just why were you tapping the victim's phone anyway? I'd like a little proof that you had nothing to do with the murder?" "As would I," the judge said.

"Well," April said, "I have to admit I can't explain away the wiretap, huh? But I can prove I didn't have anything to do with the crime. See, at 9:00 that night, I was getting room service from that sweet bellboy." _'Hmm,' _Wright thought, _'How interesting. I wonder...'_ "Your Honor," he said, "Perhaps we can get the bellboy's testimony on this. While I doubt he would lie during his testimony, something about Ms. May's alibi is suspicious, and I'd like the chance to hear it from the horse's mouth." Edgeworth shrugged. "I see no reason not to oblige. Very well, we'll have the bellboy brought to court."

A few minutes later, the bellboy was brought to the witness stand. Teddie was whispering something into Wright's ear, after which Wright gave a thumbs-up. "I see we have the witness ready," the judge said, "You may begin you're testimony." "Of course, sir," the bellboy said, "I am the head bellboy at the fine Gatewater Hotel, in business for four generations! I believe I received a call after 8:00 in the evening from our guest, Ms. May. She asked for an ice coffee to be brought to her at 9:00, on the dot, sir." "HOLD IT!," Wright called out, "Did she order just the once ice coffee?"

"Actually," the bellboy said, "She ordered two ice coffees; one for her and one for her guest." Wright grinned. "So what you're saying is... She checked in with another person!" "OBJECTION!," Edgeworth called out, "That was... Objectionable." The judge sighed. "Objection overruled." "Bellboy," Wright said, "Did you see Ms. May's guest at the time in question?" "No, sir," the bellboy said, "She had the door closed behind her when she picked up room service, so I couldn't see into the room."

Wright nodded. "Your Honor, we now have knowledge of another person involved in this incident. And while Ms. May's alibi is solid, the whereabouts of her mysterious guest are unaccounted for." The judge nodded. "Indeed. Given this new information, I cannot come to any judgement at this time. We have no choice but to adjourn for the day and reconvene tomorrow. The defense and prosecution will look into the matter of our mystery individual until then." He banged his gavel to finalize his decision.

* * *

_September 7, 2:24 PM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 1_

Teddie has asked for a copy of April's testimony, but it was so full of holes only one statement had not been stricken from it. Maya was beaming at Wright's performance. "That was amazing, Mr. Wright! All the back and forth action with you and Mr. Edgeworth, that was the coolest thing I'd ever seen! I'm surprised Sis said you lacked experience, you looked like a real pro!" Wright scratched his temple as he grinned sheepishly. "Well, I was just doing my job." Maya nodded. "So, do I get to go home now?" "Not until the final verdict," Teddie said, "But don't worry, now we have a solid lead to go on."

Wright nodded. "The man who was with Ms. May." "What happened to her anyway?," Maya asked. "She's been arrested for illegal wiretapping," Wright said, "I think she's starting to learn her charms won't work everywhere." "We'll stop by the detention center later," Teddie said, "She may have some more information. But it may take some work to pry it out of her. For now this case is far from closed." Maya suddenly looked sad. "Do you think that man... Killed Sis?" "Maybe," Wright said, "We'll know more tomorrow."

To be continued...

**Okay, altered some particularly painful spots. Some of the things in the actual game were never covered, so yeah I had to change them. Read and review.**


	12. Chapter 12: Turnabout Sisters Part 3

**Almost over... Almost over... Almost over... Oh, sorry. Seriously, this case has one of the worst villains you'll ever see. Good thing he only lasts one case. Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, Persona, or Ace Attorney.**

Chapter 12: Turnabout Sisters Part 3

_September 7, 3:11 PM_

_Detention Center_

_Visitor's Room_

Teddie went to visit April at the detention center about a hour after trial to see what he could learn from her. "Hello there," she said, half-cheerful, half-dejected, "I wasn't expecting to see you here." Teddie shrugged. "I still have a job to do. Two jobs actually. Both of them are interconnected. And to that end, I was wondering if I could ask a few questions." April turned up her nose. "Sorry, not interested." _'Well if you're not,'_ Teddie thought, _'Maybe your shadow will be.'_ His eyes turned from blue to yellow as he contacted April's shadow.

_'Where can I find the man who was with her the night of the murder?,' _Teddie asked in his head. **"I don't know," **Shadow April replied, **"She's somehow keeping that a secret even from me. It's locked away deep inside her."** _'That's unusual,'_ Teddie said, _'Can you tell me why she tapped the phone line?'_ **"Someone told her too,"** the shadow replied, **"Her boss. She's keeping his name secret."** "Excuse me," April interrupted, "Why the sudden silent treatment? If you're not gonna say anything, you should just leave." Teddie got up. "Fine. But expect to see me again soon." He left the detention center.

* * *

_September 7_

_Gatewater Hotel_

_Room 303_

Teddie entered the room where April had been staying, now roped off for further investigation. "Greetings sir," came the bellboy's voice. "Hello there," Teddie replied, "I'm here on behalf of Defense Attorney Phoenix Wright. I believe we met yesterday when I was conducting an investigation." The bellboy nodded. "Indeed. Quite the performance earlier today, wasn't it. I must admit, I never expected to be put on the witness stand myself. To tell the truth, had Mr. Wright not asked, I never would have told him about the young lady's guest."

Teddie raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that something you're supposed to say?" "It was the prosecution's request," the bellboy explained, "He said not to mention anything about anyone staying with Ms. May unless specifically asked." "That's witness tampering," Teddie said, "III is going to have a little talk with the state bar association regarding Edgeworth's actions. Sorry about all this." The bellboy waved his hand. "Not at all. An incident like this can only help bolster the Gatewater's reputation. To think a murderer would use a wiretap from this very room. It could potentially raise the price."

"Well," Teddie said, rubbing the back of his head, "Ms. May hasn't actually been charged with murder yet." "Perhaps not," the bellboy said, "But you do suspect her guest of being the real murderer yes? And I'd be surprised if the man didn't order the fine young lady to plant the wiretap in the first place." Teddie put a hand to his chin. "Impressive intuition. Then again, a good bellboy needs an eye for detail. And while we're on the subject of Ms. May's guest, perhaps you can tell me what you know about him." "Certainly," the bellboy said with a bow, "The two of them had arrived shortly after noon on the day of the murder. My first thoughts when I saw Ms. May was how beautiful she was."

"She attractive, I'll give her that," Teddie said, "But she's got nothing on my Labrys." "Well, we all have our tastes," the bellboy said, "As I said, I instantly thought the young woman very attractive. In fact I almost considered courting her if not for her guest. The man struck me as a real 'Lady Killer'. Metaphorically, of course. They seemed to dote on each other the whole time, and I realized I was unlikely to have any real shot at her. As was mentioned in the trial today, Ms. May later ordered two iced coffees for her and her guest at 9:00 PM precisely. She said it was because there was a program she needed to watch."

"More likely she was making sure to establish an alibi for herself," Teddie said, "And hopefully for her guest as well. Well she may have succeeded in getting herself off the hook as far as murder is concerned, but her guest is now a person of interest. Would you happen to remember what her mystery guest looked like?" The bellboy thought for a second. "He was distinctive, so I'd remember him if I saw him again. But what with my duties as a bellboy and all I see so many faces they tend to blend together."

Teddie nodded. "I understand. I'll see what I can do about that. By the way, this hotel seems like it's been around for a while." "Indeed," the bellboy said, "As I said earlier, the Gatewater has been in business for four generations. We've even expanded in recent years, with hotels even grander than this elsewhere in Los Angeles." Teddie whistled, impressed. "Well, I think that's all for now. I'll be back if I have any further questions." He left the room and called Wright on his cellphone. "Wright, I'm heading for Grossberg & Co. Can you meet me there?" 'I'm on my way,' Wright said.

* * *

_September 7_

_Grossberg Law Offices_

"Why do I get the feeling Grossberg is deliberately avoiding us?," Wright asked. He and Teddie were back at Grossberg's office, only Grossberg was out again. Teddie walked over to Grossberg's desk and noticed two photographs on it. "Hmm... Both of these photos have DL-6 written on the back. I think I've heard of that case. L mentioned it once, though I never got the full details." "What are the photos of?," Wright asked. Teddie took a look at them. "The first one is of a middle-aged woman. There's something familiar about her for some reason." He then took a look at the other one. "Jeez... Check out the loud hairstyle on this one." He took a closer look. "I think I'd better hang onto this picture. It may come in handy." He headed out. "Wait here, there's a few questions I think I can get answers to."

* * *

_September 7_

_Gatewater Hotel_

_Room 303_

Teddie caught up with the bellboy as was finished speaking with a police officer. "Ah, Mr. Teddie," the bellboy said, "I take you have another question?" "Sure do," Teddie said, "I need to know if you've seen the man in this photo." He handed the bellboy the photo he had. Once the bellboy took a good look, he said, "Ah yes. I know this man. He's the one who check in with Ms. April May. I'd even go so far as to write an affidavit swearing it's him." "That would be much appreciated," Teddie said. Once the bellboy finished writing out the affidavit, he handed it to Teddie. _'With this and the picture,'_ Teddie thought, _'I can finally worm some information out of April May.'_ He headed back to the detention center.

* * *

_September 7_

_Detention Center_

_Visitor's Room_

"So what do you want now?," April said when she saw Teddie walk in, "I told I'm not interested in answering your questions." "I think it's about time you talked," Teddie said, "After all, the man you were with is being accused of murder! Do you really want to keep protecting him?" "Why wouldn't I?," April said, "Come on now, if someone close to you was being accused of a crime, would you rat them out?" "Depends," Teddie said, "But that's not important." He got out the photo. "Perhaps this will help refresh your memory." April took a look at the photo and was shocked. "Where did you...?"

"Seems I'm right on track," Teddie said, "I'm willing to bet this is the man who was staying with you." April chuckled nervously. "I... Have no idea what you're talking about..." "Nice try," Teddie said as he pulled out the bellboy's affidavit, "But the bellboy at the hotel told me everything. He also told me about the man in this photo." April flinched. "I can have this photo publicized easily," Teddie said with determination, "And why not? He's a potential witness to murder, yet he stays in hiding? I'd imagine the papers would love to wreck this man's reputation!"

April growled. "Fine... That man is my boss. His name is Redd White, and he's the president of Bluecorp, an information gathering conglomerate." "And he was with you the night of the murder?," Teddie asked. April suddenly began to shake. "I can't say much more than that. I could wind up like her!" Teddie sighed. "Then can you at least give me the address for Bluecorp?" April hung her head. "Fine." Once Teddie had the address, he called Wright again. "We have him. Meet me at the following address."

* * *

_September 7_

_Bluecorp Inc._

_CEO's Office_

"Jeez," Wright said as he and Teddie entered the room, "Loud much?" "Welcome gentleman!," came a rather loud and somewhat obnoxious voice, "Perhaps you'd both care to furnish me the title of your personages!" Into the room walked a man in his mid-thirties, wearing a bright purple suit adorned with jewels for buttons. His black tie also had diamonds going down it, and there were rings on each of his fingers. His deep purple hair was done up in a rather odd style. "Come again?," Teddie said. The man cleared his throat. "Sorry. I meant to ask your names."

"Yeah, keep to simple phrases please," Teddie said, "My name is Doug Teddie of III, and this is Phoenix Wright, Attorney at Law. And you would be Redd White?" "Indeed," White said, "I've heard much about your quaint little detective organization." Teddie frowned. "Far from little, and hardly quaint." White just shrugged. "Anyway, as I'm sure you already know, I am the CEO here at Bluecorp, a company that specializes in information gathering. As such I tend to shake hands with the true elite of society. Henceforth I sometimes have trouble conversing with more middle-class individuals."

He looked over the pair. "I take it Mr. Wright is fresh out of law school?" Wright blinked. "What makes you think that?" White chucked. "Well, why else would you come and see me like this? Regardless, I can allow you to ask a few questions." "Well to start," Teddie said, "I believe Ms. April May was a employee of your company?" "That's right," White said, "She was my secretariat. And to answer the obvious next question, we did share something of fling. Though as neither of us are actually married I doubt that's a crime. I did hear about that nasty business with the wiretap. Complete shock I assure you."

"Are you saying that wasn't part of her job?," Teddie asked. "Of course it wasn't," White said with a laugh, "She's paid to answer phones, not tap them. Though I will admit information gathering is part of her duties, so long as it's done legally." _'It just sounds like you're trying to turn Ms. May into a scapegoat,'_ Wright thought to himself. "Where you with Ms. May on the night of the murder?" White tapped his temple. "Well, I don't really pay attention to such mundane details." "The bellboy wrote out a affidavit swearing it was you," Teddie said. "He can say what he pleases," White said, "It's a free country after all. If you really want to talk, you'll have to put me on the witness stand."

Wright suddenly became thoughtful. _'Come to think of it, why didn't the prosecution call him as a witness in trial today? If he was in the hotel room with April May he should have seen everything she did.'_ White chuckled. "Police... Courts... Just toys to me. Mere playthings for my amusement. Even III is little more than a video game set to max difficulty." "I'll take that last bit as a compliment," Teddie said, clearly annoyed. Wright sighed. "Anyway, just what of company is Bluecorp anyway?" "Now that's a question I have no trouble answering," White said, "You see, here at Bluecorp we buy and sell all kinds of information."

"Sell to whom?," Wright said with a raised eyebrow. "Our client list is confidential," White said with a shrug, "But I will say the company as you see it now took 10 years to build from the ground up, and not just the building." "Just out of curiosity," Teddie said, "Why pick the name 'Bluecorp'?" "Well this may not seem obvious," White said, "But blue is my favorite color." Wright then noticed the painting behind White. "Hold on. I've seen that painting before. Just yesterday in fact. Why is it hanging here?"

White suddenly became smiled in an uncomfortable manner. "Mr. Wrong, was it? Clearly you don't understand your place here. After all, you are a mere lawyer. Just like that excuse for an attorney, Mr. Grodyburger." He then punched Wright hard in the gut. "Ow!," Wright said. White smiled. "So, what do you plan on doing now?" "Easy," Teddie said, revealing his cellphone, "Send the video to III, who will then it immediately to the press and authorities." White quickly realized Teddie had recorded the altercation. "Like I said, III is like a video game with a high difficulty setting. Regardless, I still hold all the cards in the world of criminal justice."

"I doubt it," Teddie said, "Or this case would have been closed already. You underestimate the full extent of III, Mr. White. Our numbers are not as limited as you think." White scoffed. "Regardless, if you truly want to know why this painting hangs here, you'll have to ask Grodyburger." "Think he means Grossberg?," Wright asked. "He seems to have a bad habit of calling people he doesn't like by derogatory names," Teddie replied. We'll be going now White. But expect us back here." White smiled again. "I doubt it, if you know what's good for you." The two men left the office.

* * *

_September 7_

_Grossberg Law Offices_

Teddie and Wright walked into the office to see Grossberg standing with his back to them. Wright cleared his throat to get the old man's attention. "Oh," Grossberg said when he saw them, "Hello there. Sorry, I'm... Just thinking about this whole mess." "I take you saw today's trial then?," Teddie asked. Grossberg nodded sadly. "Indeed. My conscience was bothering me last night so I couldn't sleep." He hung his head. "I truly owe a debt of gratitude my boy. I don't know what I would have done if things had gone poorly for the girl." "About that," Wright said, "I still don't know why you refused her request." Grossberg sighed. "I... Still need time to think about that."

"We paid Bluecorp a visit earlier," Teddie said. Grossberg seemed apprehensive. "I... I see." "That reminds me," Wright said, "I notice the giant painting you had here yesterday is gone. I thought you said you had no intention of parting with it. In fact, I saw it again a little while ago... Hanging in the CEO's office of Bluecorp. Redd White's office." Grossberg hung his head. "I should have known you would noticed something like that. After all, it is a very large painting, so it's hard to miss."

Wright closed his eyes. "Mr. White is blackmailing you, isn't he?" Grossberg hung his head and sighed. "I suppose this is the chance I've been waiting for... To get everything of my chest. I suppose it's fate, you being Mia's understudy." He lifted his head. "You see, Redd White is a man who makes his living through intimidation. You've probably heard that Bluecorp is a company that deals in information, and that is sort of true. But the real business of Bluecorp is finding people's weaknesses."

"Their weaknesses?," Wright asked. "Yes," Grossberg said, "And I have forced to pay them for the last 15 years. The reason why involves the DL-6 incident." "That was the number on the back of the photographs," Teddie said, "So this is the reason you didn't stand in defense Maya. White was forcing you not to!" "I'm afraid so," Grossberg said, "He threatened to destroy me if I tried. That man has information on everyone, making arresting him near impossible." "Not as much as you think," Teddie said, "The very fact that this case is still being investigated should give you proof of that."

"Perhaps," Grossberg said, "But that just means his reach does not extend to everyone. And those that are under his grip are trapped. They are unable to bring harm to themselves, and thus cannot harm him." "One thing I want to ask," Wright said, "Just what is the DL-6 incident?" "With so many cases on the rise since the Kira incident," Grossberg explained, "The ICPO decided to have the press stop assigning names to certain cases, and instead just have them all referred to by their sorting code." "So basically DL-6 is the sorting code for the case," Wright said.

Grossberg nodded. "It happened almost 15 years ago. At that time I received a request from a spirit medium named Misty Fey. The name should sound familiar to you, for you see she was Mia and Maya's mother. She had been investigation a murder at the request of the police department. But... She failed, and the police called her a fraud for it. They even claimed it was foolish to let a mere child witness the channeling, even later when the boy became the world's greatest detective." Teddie gasped. "Are you saying L was the boy they called to witness the channeling?"

_'Now it's all making sense,'_ Wright thought, _'This is what Maya was talking about.'_ "I did all could for the woman," Grossberg said, "And I was able to clear her of wrongdoing. However, to this day that murder case is still unsolved." "Okay," Teddie said, "But why the blackmail?" "Because," Grossberg explained, "DL-6 was top secret at the time. And why not? The police didn't want folks knowing they had hired a spirit medium! However, one person found out. And... It's because I told him." "Wait," Wright said, "White convinced you to tell him about this!?"

Grossberg sighed. "The man offered me money for my words. It's a source of shame and embarrassment for me. And because of it, the police were mocked far and wide. They decided to search for the source of the leak in secret. Naturally White caught wind of this, and approached me again. This time he intended to blackmail me. White sees the law of this country as nothing but his plaything, and that which is not carefully monitored by III is under his control. If you wish to challenge him, I'd recommend having a close look at Mia's office. She's been following his moves for years, and may have recorded her findings." "Sounds interesting," Teddie said, "Come one Nick, we have work to do."

* * *

_September 7_

_Fey & Co. Law Offices_

"Place looks normal now," Wright said, "No indication that a murder happened here." "Grossberg said there would be clues in this office," Teddie said, "Let's start by going through Mia's case files." "They're all alphabetized," Wright noted, "Let's start with... 'F'. Here we are, a file on Mia's mother, Misty Fey." The file spoke of how Misty had left her family, saying that she had shamed the Fey clan. Determined to discover the cause of this, Mia had used her own powers to hold an audience with the dead. They had pointed her towards Marvin Grossberg, and another man who wasn't named.

"The file stops abruptly," Wright noted, "I guess this is how Mia found out about Grossberg in the first place." He continued to skim through the files until he came to "S". "Big file," Teddie said, "And it's labeled 'Suicide'." Wright flipped through it. "Looks like a collection of suicide reports. A bunch of people in various positions of power. And there's some footnotes in Mia's handwriting. 'White'... That's it! Mia must have thought White had a hand in all these! We can use these clippings to confront him!" He grabbed the most disturbing story he could find. Teddie took once last look through the files. "Interesting... The 'W' section is missing altogether." Wright was already headed out the door.

* * *

_September 7_

_Bluecorp Inc._

_CEO's Office_

"You're quite persistent," White said. "Well, I have something to ask you real quick," Wright said, a look of determination in his eye. He held up the newspaper article. "This article mentions the suicide of a politician. Apparently some crime of his was leaked to the news, embezzling from the look of it." White scoffed. "And how does that concern me?" "I found this in Mia's office," Wright said, "And it has your name written on it in her hand. In fact she had a whole file filled with articles just like this. I think I know what's going on here... You were blackmailing all those people. And Mia was doing everything in her power to track you down."

White gave his uncomfortable smile again. "I'll warn you just once, Mr. Wrong. Right now you're in the middle of a murder case. Granted I can't stop you from continuing to defend that young lady, but dig too deeply into matters that don't concern your case..." "But it does," Wright said, "Because you have a strong motive to kill Mia. After all, after Ms. May tapped Mia's phone, Mia was killed all the documents about you disappeared. That seems like too much of a coincidence to me." White frowned and pressed a button on his desk. "Call the police department. Tell them I've changed my mind about testifying in court." He then gave Wright an evil grin.

* * *

_September 8, 3:37 PM_

_Detention Center_

_Visitor's Room_

"And after that," Wright explained, "White had me arrested on suspicion of killing my own mentor." "I guess it's the only thing he could do," Teddie said, "You're too new defense attorney to have any real weaknesses other than inexperience. So, what does he plan?" "His intention is too assign me a public defender," Wright said, "One so stupid I'm bound to be found guilty. I'm assuming he has some sort of trap in mind, and the prosecution will be in on it." "Too bad for him we have too things on our side," Teddie said with a smile, "One, the judge selected for the trial works for III, and two, you can simply defend yourself as an attorney."

Maya then entered the room. "Mr. Wright..." "Hey Maya," Wright said cheerfully, "Glad to see they let you out of detention." Teddie nodded. "White couldn't have you indicted without first allowing Maya to be acquited. I've already told her everything." Wright nodded. "Don't worry Maya, I plan on getting out of this. After all, I have a hunch that Redd White is the real person who killed your sister. And me and Teddie have a plan that should bring the hammer down on him once and for all." Teddie nodded to Wright and walked Maya out of the room. "We'll be sure to finish this tomorrow."

As they walked to Maya's apartment, she asked Teddie, "So, how long will this really last." "Not too long," Teddie said, "White may think he has the courts wrapped around his finger, but it's a double-edged sword. III has put several laws in place after the Kira incident in an attempt to hold the inevitable flood of crime that would surely follow. One of these laws involved a means to put an end to lengthy court proceedings. These days, there's a limit of three court days allowed per case. A decision must be made by the final day, with the judge making his decision on the final day if there is not sufficient evidence by then. But rest assured, this case will over tomorrow... Once way or the other. First, however, there's something we to do with you." Maya looked at Teddie. "What?" Teddie's eyes glowed yellow again.

To be continued...

**Don't worry, Teddie won't hurt Maya. Spoiler alert, but he's simply going to awaken Maya's full power. Anyway, this is almost over (finally). BTW, Redd White is my least favorite villain, and fans of the Ace Attorney series will understand why. So, read and review folks.**


	13. Chapter 13: Turnabout Sisters Part 4

**Okay, this chapter will FINALLY end Turnabout Sisters. And the ending is definitely worth all the pain I had to go through to get here. Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, Persona, or Ace Attorney.**

Chapter 13: Turnabout Sisters Part 4

_September 9, 9:52 AM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 1_

As Wright waited for Teddie and Maya to show up, he spotted Edgeworth walk into the lobby. "Well well," Wright said, "It's been a while since we've met like this." Edgeworth nodded. "I certainly wasn't expecting to see you under these circumstances. I must say, you're rather calm for someone being accused of murder." Wright just shrugged. "Believe it or not, it hasn't been the first time." Edgeworth smiled. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the prosecutor's office called me. Whatever Mr. White says is to be considered the 'absolute truth.'"

"Then I'm afraid you'll be forced to disobey them," Teddie said as he came in, Maya behind him, "Because the judge on this case works for III, and thus is obligated to remain unbiased. If White's truth contradicts the evidence, he'll accept Wright's objections." Edgeworth raised an eyebrow. "Wright's objections... Don't tell me he'll be defending himself today?" "That's the plan," Teddie said, "So be prepared for a real fight." Maya scowled at Edgeworth. "Why are you even doing this? It's like you enjoy tormenting innocent people."

Edgeworth looked at her. "How do we know who is innocent and who is guilty? The guilty always lie to protect themselves. That is why I work to make sure all defendant's are found guilty." "You really have changed," Wright said, "You're not the same person I knew all those years ago." Edgeworth simply walked out the door. "I take it you know him," Teddie said. Wright shrugged. "That's not important now. You said you had a plan for today." Teddie nodded. "I had to work a little shadow magic, but I managed something very interesting. Go ahead Maya."

Maya nodded and began chanting while her hands were folding in an odd manner. "What's going on?," Wright asked. "After Maya mentioned her powers as a spirit medium, I realized the only thing holding her back was doubt," Teddie explained, "Therefore, I contacted her shadow last night and told it to speak with her. Soon enough, it turned into a Persona, releasing her true power. Check it out." Maya started to glow brightly. Then, before Wright's eyes, she started to grow taller and more womanly. When the glow subsided, Wright couldn't believe his eyes. "M-Mia! No way!"

Sure enough, Mia was now standing there, with Maya's clothes and hairstyle. "Well Teddie, I must say you have many surprising talents. You even tricked White into taking a blank piece of paper." "It's a gift," Teddie said, his arms folding behind his head. "So it WAS Redd White who killed you," Wright said, "But that alone won't be enough in court." "No," Mia said, "But you have something just as good. Do you remember the receipt from my office?" "You mean the one with 'Maya' written in blood," Wright said, "I assume it was White who did that." Mia nodded. "Check out the back."

Wright looked at the back of the receipt. "I remember noting the date was the day before the murder... Wait a minute... 'Glass light stand'... That's it! I was wondering about the fallen light stand. But how does this help." "It's simple," Teddie said, "If we back White into a corner using the glass stand, Edgeworth will try to counter by making White confess to planting the wiretap. It'll be the only way out for him. And of course the only reasonable time for him to have planted the wiretap..." "Is before the day of the murder," Wright realized, "Teddie that's brilliant!" Teddie nodded. "Now we just have to set the trap. Let's head for the courtroom."

* * *

_September 9, 10:00 AM_

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 1_

The judge banged his gavel to start the trial. "Court is now in session for the trial of Phoenix Wright." "Hold on," White said, already at the witness stand, "I don't see the defense attorney." "Were you not aware?," the judge said, "The defendant has refused a public defender and will instead be defending himself. After all, he IS a defense attorney." "Something you should have considered when you had him arrested," Teddie added. "Now then," the judge said, "The prosecution may proceed with their opening statement." "As this is technically the same case," Edgeworth said, "I'll not waste time explaining the details and simply introduce our next witness."

"If I may ask," the judge said, "Why has this witness not come forward until now?" "Well Your Honor," Edgeworth said, "Mr. White is a very busy man, and at the time I thought Ms. May's testimony would be more than enough. Apparently I was proven wrong." White noticed the young woman sitting next to Teddie, but couldn't make out her face. For obvious reasons, Mia kept her face hidden from him. "Would the witness please state your name and occupation?," Edgeworth asked. "In simple terms, please," Teddie said, "You're not exactly among the upper class of society." "Certainly," White said, "Redd White, CEO and founder of Bluecorp."

"And did you know the victim, Ms. Mia Fey?," Edgeworth said. "Not at all," Redd said, "I'll admit I've heard the name Fey before, but I've never met the victim in my life." "And were you at the Gatewater Hotel on the night of the murder?," Edgeworth asked. White nodded. "That's correct. I saw the whole thing from there." "Then let's begin with the testimony," the judge said, "Be aware the defense has the right, even as a defendant, to cross-examine at any point should he find anything wrong with your testimony." "Wait, what?," White said, "But how we trust the accused in this case?"

"The law is the law," the judge said, "And I have the full court record on hand. Mr. Wright, do note I'll only accept objections that directly contradict the evidence. However, there will be no penalty for pressing for information." White's eyebrow twitched. It was clear this trial wasn't going to go as he had planned. He cleared. "Well. I guess I'll just have to stick to the facts then. Let's see, it was about 9:00, I believe. I was quietly reading some papers by the window. Then I heard a bedlam coming from outside! Surprised, I turned to look at the building across the way. It was then I saw him: A spiky-haired man attacking a woman with long hair! Needless to say that man was none other than you, Mr. Lawyer! I called Miss May over at once. She, too, was surprised of course. The victim, she... She ran away, but you gave chase!"

"HOLD IT!," Wright called out, "Perhaps you could give a little more detail about that last statement?" White shrugged. "Why not? The victim ran to the left, and you gave chase!" "OBJECTION!," Wright called out, "That statement contradicts Ms. May's testimony! She clearly recalled seeing the victim run over to the right, but you just said she ran to the left. And before you say that she was simply misheard, I'd like you to take a look at the floor plans for the office." He brought out the plans and pointed to the spots marked for the killer and victim. "As you can see from these plans, if the victim had run to the left as seen from the window, she would have run _away_ from the door and right into a solid wall."

White flinched. "I highly doubt any sane person would have made such a mistake," the judge said, "However, judging from the witness's face, I'm not so sure he's lying." Wright took a close look. _'Come to think about it, I have a feeling he _is_ telling the truth on this one. But that means...'_ "Your Honor," he said, "I believe both witnesses are telling the truth. But for that to be possible, White had to have witnessed the crime, not from the Gatewater Hotel, but from the crime scene itself." "A viable reason, I admit," Edgeworth said, "And it would clear up the contradiction. But where would White have been standing to witness this crime."

Wright tapped the spot where the killer was marked. "Why, right here. From this perspective, if the victim ran for the door, she would be seen running to the left." "This is no time for jokes Wright," Edgeworth said, "That's were the killer is supposed to be standing." "And your point Edgeworth," the judge said, "I see no other explanation for this conundrum. Unless the witness has forgotten something important." "Well, now that you mention it," White said, "I did forget one minor detail. Let me make my testimony again." "Very well," the judge said, "But be sure not to leave out any details."

"Of course," White said, "Miss May's testimony was correct... As was mine! When you first assaulted the girl, she first ran to the left. And then you hit her, savagely! That is what I saw. Next, with the last of her strength, she ran to the right. You chased her, and delivered the final blow. That is what Miss May saw. You see? You hit her twice!" "OBJECTION!," Wright said, "Sorry, but I'm afraid that contradicts the autopsy report. It says the victim died from a _single_ blow to the head." White flinched again. "Your Honor," Teddie said, "I think we need a new testimony from the witness."

"OBJECTION!," Edgeworth called out, "The witness is clearly confused. I would like to request a 10 minute recess for him to clear his head." "Overruled," the judge said, "That seemed like far more than confusion to me. The prosecution's request is denied. Witness, you will revise your testimony at once." White gulped. _'I think he's starting to get it,'_ Teddie thought, _'His so-called "toy" is the real video game. And he's just run out of cheat codes.'_ "Well," White said, "I suppose I could make another testimony. Sorry, Your Honor, I feel I've been too overstressed from work." "Just get on with it," the judge said.

_'Feeling the heat White,'_ Wright thought to himself, _'Maybe next time you'll pick your battles more wisely.'_ White cleared his throat. "Umm, well, see- I looked at the other window when I heard that thing fall." "HOLD IT!," Wright asked, "Just what 'thing' are you talking about?" "Oh that," White said, wiping some of the sweat from his brow, "It was a light stand. A light stand was lying on the floor when I looked." "OBJECTION!," Wright called out, "It would have been impossible for you to have seen that stand. It had broken into pieces when it fell." He presented some of the glass shards to prove his point.

"Just from seeing these pieces alone," Wright said, "It would have been impossible to tell this was a light stand. So... Just when did you see it?" "Well," White said, clearly shaken, "I-I'd think that was obvious... I saw it before it fell over!" "You mean before the victim was attacked?," Wright said, "Impossible. A person viewing the crime scene from the hotel could not have seen the light stand." He presented the floor plans. "TAKE THAT! Let me show you something using this marker." He drew lines the represented a person's field of vision from the window. It was clear that such a view would be limited. "As you can see," Wright said, "The light stand is not in the field of vision I drew."

"Then someone who saw the crime from the Gatewater Hotel," the judge said, "Could not have seen the stand before it fell over." "And he couldn't have known about it after, either," Wright said, "Because it had been smashed beyond all recognition. So I ask again, Mr. White, when did you see the stand?" Edgeworth cleared his throat. "Mr. White. I believe now is the time to confess your crime... Of planting the wiretap." Wright raised his eyebrow. _'It's about time he tried pulling this card.'_ White looked over to Edgeworth. "After all," Edgeworth said, "You had to have entered the law offices to plant it in the first place. And that's when you saw the glass light stand, correct?"

White grinned. "Oh, right... Yes, that must have slipped my mind. My apologies. If I may have one more chance to testify, Your Honor?" The judge looked over to Teddie, who nodded. "Very well," the judge said, "But this is your last chance, Mr. White. If the defense can anything wrong with your testimony, I'm afraid we'll have no choice but to indict you." "I highly doubt there will be anything wrong with his testimony this time," Edgeworth said. Wright smiled. _'That's what you think.'_ White took a deep breath and said, "It was the beginning of September... The week before the murder. I had entered Fey & Co. Law Offices. Of course, I had done so to place the wiretap. That is when I saw this glass light stand."

"OBJECTION!," Wright called out, "Let's take another look at the receipt with the name written in blood." Edgeworth scoffed. "Now you're just grasping." Wright smiled. "I think not. Take a closer look... At the other side of the receipt." "The... Other side?," Edgeworth said. "Your Honor," Wright said, "If you would please tell us what is one the printed side of the receipt?" The judge took a look. "Interesting. It's for a glass light stand! And the date of purchase... Is for the day before the murder!" Both Edgeworth and White flinched. "You see, Mr. White?," Wright said, "If you had entered Fey & Co. Law Offices on the week before the murder... The stand could not have been there!"

White hit his head against the witness stand, then yanked it back up while screaming. "Well now," the judge said, "I think it's quite clear the defendant cannot be found 'guilty' under these circumstances. I think it's time we ended this trial." "OBJECTION!," Edgeworth said, "There is still no concrete proof that the defendant is innocent, though I will admit that the logic presented so far is sound! Your Honor, I would like one more day to prove or disprove the defendant's guilt in this case." "HOLD IT!," Teddie called out, "Your Honor, before you make your decision, we still have one final piece of evidence." He pulled out the papers he had been hiding since the start of the case and handed them to Wright. "Go ahead and read it."

Wright turned to the judge. "Your Honor, if I may?" The judge nodded. "Very well then." The paper had the names of various people in finance, politics, law enforcement, and even entertainment. Many of the names sounded strangely familiar to those in the court room that day. With each name read, White's eyes grew wider. "Your Honor," Teddie said, "This memo is a piece of evidence the victim was planning to present in an important trial scheduled for the day after the murder. I had already suspected that her phone was being tapped and someone was listening in, so I grabbed the papers when she wasn't looking and substituted a blank piece."

"But that's...," White said, "That's impossible. I saw those papers and..." He quickly covered his mouth, realizing he was quickly giving himself away. "White," Teddie said, "You seriously underestimate III. Our organization has more than just talented detectives on our side. We also have attorneys, prosecutors, even judges working for us, including the judge of this trial. And we always do background checks on those who we consider for our group. Also, you probably thought we only had sixty members because that's how many our main headquarters in Japan can house at one time. But we have satellite groups in various countries across the world. And of course, we can also work with a little supernatural help."

He nodded to Mia, who revealed her face to the court. Edgeworth was stunned. "How...?" White was simply speechless. "Well, Mr. White," Teddie said with a grin, "Still think our 'quaint little detective group' is just a video game?" "I think now's the time for you to confess your REAL crime," Wright said, "Or this list will quickly find it's way to the police." White slumped and started crying. "Alright... It was me... I was the one who killed Mia Fey with 'The Thinker'..." Teddie nodded. "And there you have it." White was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs.

"Well," the judge said, "Quite the spirited defense, I'd say. You were quite smart to defend yourself Mr. Wright. I doubt things would have turned out this way otherwise." Wright nodded. "Well, Your Honor, if you want my opinion, I'd say White was toying with the criminal justice system for too long." The judge nodded. "Agreed. And so I think now is the time to make my final judgement. This court finds the defendant, Phoenix Wright... NOT GUILTY!" He banged his gavel to finalize the trial. "Court is adjourned."

* * *

_September 9, 2:24 PM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 1_

"Congratulations Nick," Mia said, "I never thought I'd get the chance to say that again." Wright chuckled. "I'm just glad you were born into a family of mediums. And doubly glad Teddie is a shadow king." Mia nodded. "Thanks Nick, for helping me... And Maya. I won't forget this as long as I live!" "Uh," Teddie said, "Aren't you technically dead?" "I think she's implying she'll never forget this," Wright said. Mia nodded. "Anyway, my time here is almost up. I can only stay in Maya's body for so long. Teddie may have helped her awaken to her powers, but they're still pretty weak at this point."

Wright nodded. "It's alright. Now that Maya can use her powers, we may be seeing each other again." "And on that note," Mia said, "I'd like you to come to the office tonight... Say, 9:00?" Wright nodded. "Sure thing Chief." Mia giggled. "I'm not the 'Chief' anymore. I'll see you later, Nick. Take care." And with that, she walked out of the room. "I wonder what Mia has in mind," Teddie said, "I suppose we'll find out when we get to the office. Anyway, what's say we grab lunch in the meantime." Wright nodded. "Sounds good." And they both walked out of the lobby.

* * *

_September 9, 9:02 PM_

_Fey & Co. Law Offices_

"It's hard not to think about that night," Wright said as he walked into the office. Teddie had been called away on official III business, so Wright had promised to contact him with what Mia had planned. "Hey there," came a familiar voice, "Glad to see you came." Wright turned to see Maya standing there, back to normal and without a hint of fatigue from her channeling. "Nice to see you're okay," Maya said, "My sister told me everything. Through written notes, of course." She handed Wright one of the notes. It said, "Take care of Phoenix for me."

"Mia wrote this?," Wright asked. "Well yeah," Maya said cheerfully, "Someone has to help out at the new Wright & Co. Law Offices. So, I agreed to volunteer. So, whaddya say Nick? We gonna be partners or what?" Wright thought about it. "Why not? After all, I do owe you for all this?" The two of them shook hands. _'The Wright & Co. Law Offices,'_ Wright thought, _'It has a nice ring to it. And I do get the feeling... That Mia is watching over us even now.'_ "Well," Maya said, "Now that that's out of the way, let's grab dinner. I hungry for a big burger right about now! In fact, I know this great place across the street." Wright smiled as he and Maya headed out of the office together.

Next case: Turnabout Samurai

**Ugh, this is finally over. Next case is going to be much more enjoyable, even funny. Read and review, and stay tuned.**


	14. Chapter 14: Turnabout Samurai Part 1

**Time for a more enjoyable case. The case this time still has its nail biters, but at least the true culprit isn't an absolute troll like White was. Man, I hated that guy. Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, Persona, or Ace Attorney.**

Chapter 14: Turnabout Samurai Part 1

_October 15, 2016_

Nanako Dojima sat on the iFly airliner heading for Los Angeles. This would be her first real time investigating a case for III. Already set to graduate high school, Nanako was a young teen girl wearing a bright blue t-shirt with a picture of Teddie's mascot form, a round blue bear wearing a red jumpsuit, and jean shorts with high tops. She had some time ago decided to let her auburn hair flow freely, and came down to her mid-back. She was watching the TV program "Steel Samurai", a show based around feudal Japan. _'My first real case involves this show,'_ Nanako thought, _'Daddy, Big Bro... I'll make you proud.'_

* * *

_October 14, 5:31 PM_

_Wright & Co. Law Offices_

Seeing the ending of the show, Maya, who was sweeping around the office, was really excited. "Man, that rocked!" She began waving her broom around. "See you in Hell, Evil Magistrate!" Wright ducked quickly when the broom came near head. "Jeez, watch it Maya, you're gonna take someone's head off." "Oh Nick," Maya said, "I didn't realize you were here." Wright sighed. "In case you've forgotten, this is my office now. Anyway, what was that surreal show you were just watching?" Maya looked shocked. "What!? Nick, are you saying you've never heard of the Steel Samurai!?"

She held up a DVD of the shows first season. The figure on the cover looked like a kibuki-styled samurai in silver armor with a red hakama. "He's only the most popular TV hero for young people!," Maya said excitedly. Wright raised an eyebrow. "Like... How young are we talking?" Maya thought for a second. "I'd say, ten years old." Wright looked at her funny. "Really, then why are you getting excited about it?" "Hey!," Maya said, "I'm still young. I'm 17, which is young compared to you." Wright sighed. "You're acting like I'm your grandpa. I'm only 24."

"Then come watch it with me," Maya said, "The Steel Samurai is really cool. And really popular. In fact, when grade schoolers were asked what they wanted to be when they grew up, the Steel Samurai was the number 1 pick." _'I begin to worry for the next generation,'_ Wright thought to himself. "Looks like the shows over today, anyway," he said to Maya, "I guess we should close up. Man I wish we had some clients. Seriously, it's been a month since that incident with White and people still haven't heard of us. I thought III was gonna come through and help us start business." "Cheer up, Nick," Maya said, "I'll bet a big client is just around the bend!"

* * *

_October 16, 8:14 AM_

_Phoenix Wright's Bedroom_

Wright awoke to the sound of his cellphone going off. Groggily, he grabbed it and answered. "Phoenix Wright here." 'Nick!,' came Maya's frantic voice, 'Something crazy happened! The Steel Samurai just got arrested!' "Huh?," Wright said, "You're referring to the actual actor I hope." 'That's right,' Maya said, 'They're saying he killed a villain... For real! Come to the office and I'll explain everything.' Wright hung up after that. _'Okay... That was strange. I wonder what's going on.'_ He got himself dressed and headed back to the office.

* * *

_October 16, 9:22 AM_

_Wright & Co. Law Offices_

As Wright entered the office, he saw Maya watching TV. _"Actor Will Powers was arrested yesterday. The lead actor for the popular kid's show 'The Steel Samurai: Warrior of Neo Olde Tokyo' is suspected of murdering fellow actor and co-star Jack Hammer, who played the villain in the series. Hammer's body was found still inside his costume, apparently having been stabbed by the prop spear used in the show. Police are investigating the matter as we speak."_ "Tell me this is a joke," Wright said. "More like a nightmare," Maya said, completely forlorn, "How will the Steel Samurai go on now?"

Just then, Maya's cellphone went off. "Wright & Co. Law Offices." She listened to the person on the other end, and suddenly her eyes went wide. "Nick! It's the Steel Samurai! He wants you to defend him in court!" "Wait, really?," Wright said in surprise. Maya nodded. "They have him down in the detention center. Apparently he was referred here by a member of III." _'I was hoping they'd come through,'_ Wright thought to himself. "Alright, then let's go meet our client." The two of them headed out of the office and down to the detention center.

* * *

_October 16_

_Detention Center_

_Visitor's Room_

"Nice to meet you both," Nanako said, "I'm Nanako Dojima, one of the junior members of III." Wright couldn't help but feel he was playing babysitter. "I assume you have investigative experience." Nanako smiled with pride. "Sure do. I learned all I need from Daddy and Big Bro." "Your brother taught you?," Maya said, "That's kinda cool." Nanako giggled. "Actually, I'm an only child. My Big Bro is actually my cousin, but he acts a lot like a brother. Anyway, enough about me. You're here to see the client, right?" She motioned over to a rather large man wearing an orange running suit. His light brown hair spiked out much like a mane.

Maya seemed confused. "Wait... Is that really the Steel Samurai?" Nanako nodded. "That's Will Powers. I guess it would be surprising to see him without the suit on. I never got why they needed such large costumes." Wright stifled a laugh. "You'll have to excuse my partner Mr. Powers. She's a fan of the show and may be a little disappointed at seeing the man behind the helmet." Powers sighed and shrugged. "It's alright. I had a feeling that might happen during all this. When I got the part of the Steel Samurai, I decided not to show my face in public until after the job was done."

"So as not to ruin the dreams of little kids," Wright said, "Am I right?" Powers nodded. "Too bad that dream is practically over. I wonder what those kids think of the Steel Samurai now." "If we can prove your innocence," Wright said, "They may still love the show. Anyway, I'd like to start by asking a few questions. First off, what exactly happened on the day of the incident?" "Let's see," Powers said, "It was just yesterday, and the cast had come down to Global Studios for a run-through. We were doing a few of the action sequences at 10:00 AM, with a rehearsal scheduled for 5:00 that afternoon."

"So what happened when you got to the rehearsal?," Wright asked. "The staff had gathered at the studio," Powers said, "And the character known as the Evil Magistrate was found lying in a crumpled heap near the set. They took off the mask and saw it was Jack Hammer. He had been killed by an expert strike with the Samurai Spear." "That's the weapon the Steel Samurai uses for his main attack, right?," Maya asked. Powers nodded. "I'm pretty new to the show," Wright said, "So maybe you could give me a quick rundown of the overall plot." "Sure," Powers said, "Basically the Steel Samurai is a heroic warrior who patrols the streets of Neo Olde Tokyo, fighting against the Evil Magistrate and his minions."

"But of course," Maya said, "He's never truly beaten the Evil Magistrate yet. Not til now, I guess..." _'Sounds cheesy,'_ Wright thought. "Well, thanks I guess. Incidentally Mr. Powers, perhaps you can explain where you were on the day of the murder?" Powers crossed his arms. "I had gotten to the studio at 9:00 that day. Then we worked through some of the action scenes until noon. We were supposed to have rehearsal at 5:00, but I was a little tired so I took a nap in my dressing room. By the time I woke up, it was already after 5:00! I hurried to the studio and found everyone looking shocked."

"And they arrested you shortly thereafter," Wright said. Powers nodded. "I spoke of my case to the III Los Angeles branch and they sent someone from the main headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. When Ms. Dojima got here, she said she'd get me a good defense attorney." "Well, that's caught me up at least," Wright said, "But it's kind of a weak alibi to say you were asleep the entire afternoon of the murder. In any event, I can't help but believe your story. Right now what we need is to visit the crime scene." Powers got some paper and a pen out and began drawing. "Here's a map to Global Studios." Maya's eyes lit up as she took the map. "Come on Nick, let's get going!" Wright sighed as he and Nanako followed Maya out of the detention center.

* * *

_October 16_

_Global Studios_

_Main Gate_

"This is so awesome!," Maya said, "I can't believe at the place where they make the Steel Samurai show!" Suddenly, and old woman with medium-short gray hair wearing a security guard uniform approached the group. "You there!," she barked, "Anyone who wants in has to go through me. That's my job, keeping gawkers like you out." Nanako reached into her pocket and pulled out her III ID. "I'm an investigator for Inaba Investigation International." "Great," the guard said, "Now we have nosy whippersnappers playing detective. Why in my day..." She went into a rant until Nanako pulled out an air horn from her bag and blew it.

"Jeez, blow out my hearing aid why dontcha," the guard said. "Sorry," Nanako said, "But I'd prefer it if you keep your statement short. Even the older III members have no patience for ranting. Anyway, as I was saying, I'm with the III and Mr. Wright here is the attorney for Mr. Powers. We'd like to ask you a few questions, starting with your name." "Wendy Oldbag," the guard said, "And no jokes please. I get enough of that from kids I pass on the street." "First of all," Wright said, "Just what is it they do here at the studio?" "Must be your first time here," Wendy said, "Basically, Global Studios is the place where children's dreams come true. Heck, I remember when I was younger..."

Maya looked shocked. "Were you a star?" Wendy shook her head. "Not that famous, just a little twinkle between the stars. Anyway, these days the studio has been going downhill. But ten years ago... Now those were the days. And Jack Hammer was one of the biggest starts you could ever hope to see." "I'll bet," Wright said, "And now he's stuck playing the villain in a children's show." Nanako giggled. "Anyway Ms. Oldbag, what can you tell us about the defendant, Will Powers?" "I'll admit he's not a bad kid, despite his appearance," Wendy said, "But you wouldn't want him on the silver screen without that mask of his."

"He didn't look _that_ nasty," Maya said. "Maybe not," Wendy said, "But there's a reason he was so taken with the Steel Samurai role. He honestly seemed like a nice guy, and no one thought he was capable of something like murder." "We don't even know that he's guilty yet!," Maya said. "Easy Maya," Wright said, then he turned back to Wendy. "Can you tell us anything about the victim, Jack Hammer?" "I can tell you a lot of things," Wendy said, "Hammer will certainly live on in the hearts of many as a big time action star, the ultimate action hero! I remember his most dashing role as the hero of the Dynamite Samurai series."

"So why the sudden change to villain?," Nanako asked. "Apparently," Wendy said, "There was an accident during filming five years ago. After that Hammer ran into a string of bad luck, and finally was reduced to playing the villain on a kid's show. Not the most glamorous thing in the world for someone who's tasted true stardom. Even worse, he was forced to work for peanuts." "You seem pretty certain Powers is the killer," Nanako said, "Why is that?" "I was here yesterday," Wendy explained, "From 1:00 PM to 5:00 that same afternoon. The studio where the murder took place is to the left of here. And the only way through is past my guard house over there."

"And only one person went through the gate?," Nanako asked. Wendy nodded. "Yep. Only person passed through here between 1:00 and 2:30, when the murder occurred. I know for a fact I saw Powers pass by the gate at that time. Anyway, if all you folks want through, you'll have to show me a letter of request from Powers." Nanako looked at Wright. "You did know you needed one, right?" Wright face-palmed. "I never thought to ask him for one. Sorry, I've only owned the office for a month. Let's head back to the detention center real quick."

* * *

_October 16_

_Detention Center_

_Visitor's Room_

"Hey there," Powers said, "So, what did they say at the studio? No wait... Let me guess." He grew sad. "Everyone thinks I did, right?" "Well," Wright said, "The security guard does at least. I don't know about the rest of the studio. Speaking her, she said she saw you that day heading towards the scene of the crime." Powers was flabbergasted. "How is that possible? I swear I was sleeping when the whole thing went down." "I'd appreciate a little honesty," Wright said, "I'm still new to this job, and I need every advantage I can get." "I understand," Powers said, "But I swear on my momma's grave I ain't lying."

"Relax," Wright said, "I believe you. But I'd still like to know exactly what Ms. Oldbag saw that day." "Couldn't tell ya," Powers said, "I do know she hates when people step even a single toe out of line. She can be nice enough, but she takes her job very seriously. And she likes to suck up to those in authority." "About that," Wright said, "We need a letter from you formally requesting my representation as your lawyer." "Sure," Powers said, "Hang on a second." He wrote up the letter and handed it to Wright. "Okay," Wright said, "Let's hope this gets us past security." The three of them headed back to the studio.

* * *

_October 16_

_Global Studios_

_Main Gate_

Upon seeing Wendy again, Wright handed her the letter from Powers. "Let's see here," Wendy said, checking the letter, "Yep, this looks like Powers's handwriting all right. I'm a little surprised he'd trust his defense to a young attorney like yourself, but I guess he went with what he could take. Anyway, you're free to pass. However, you're only allowed to investigate the studio area to the left. The Employee Area to the right is off-limits. That was what the detective in charge of the case told me." "We could use a map of the grounds, if that's alright," Maya said. Wendy grabbed one of the maps from the guard station and handed it to her. The group then headed for the studio entrance.

* * *

_October 16_

_Studio One Entrance_

Just inside the entrance was Gumshoe, who seemed to be overseeing the investigation. "Hey there," Gumshoe said, "We seem to keep bumping into each on these cases." "So it seems," Wright said, "How's Edgeworth taking his loss?" Gumshoe sighed. "Not well. He's been really upset since that day. Just yesterday I saw him sipping tea and staring gloomily out the window." "Well," Maya said, "Maybe you should have worked harder as a detective!" Gumshoe hung his head. "Don't go rubbing salt in the wound," Nanako said, "This guy's had it rough."

Gumshoe sighed. "Well, I admit I was a little sloppy. Teddie even asked me after that case a month ago how a girl Maya's size could hit her older sister, who stood a few feet taller, right on the crown of the skull. I really should have paid attention when he laid out the facts he discovered. Anyway, I'm guessing you guys are here on behalf of Mr. Powers?" "That's right," Wright said, "And with that in mind, maybe we can take a look at your investigation so far, starting with the autopsy report. The latest version, if you don't mind."

"Sure, pal," Gumshoe said, "I got it right here." He handed Nanako the report. "So, this kid is with III, right?" "Nanako Dojima," Wright said, "Apparently her father is a police detective, while her cousin is one of the head members." "Mr. Gumshoe," Nanako asked, "Why was Powers arrested for the murder? He doesn't seem to have a viable motive." "Well that's simple," Gumshoe said, "The murder took place over there in Studio One. The victim had entered at around 1:00 PM that day, and no one else was in the studio. The autopsy report puts time of death at around 2:30 PM. According to the security lady, only Mr. Powers had gone into the studio at around that time."

"What about the security lady?," Wright asked. "She's a real charmer," Gumshoe said with a laugh, "I showed her my badge and she offered me a coffee and donut." _'Powers did say Wendy is a sucker for authority figures,'_ Wright thought. "The lady was even nice enough to hand a piece of evidence," Gumshoe said. "What kind of evidence?," Nanako asked. "A photo," Gumshoe said, "Showing the Steel Samurai heading for the scene of the crime!" Wright looked surprised. "Who took that photo?" Gumshoe pointed to a nearby security camera perched on the gate. "Anytime someone walks by, that camera takes a photo of them."

_'Interesting,'_ Wright thought, _'I'd like to get a good look at that photo myself.'_ "Would it be alright if we ask the employees some questions?," Nanako asked. "Knock yourself out," Gumshoe said, "But you won't find anything I haven't already found." "Looks like we have a free pass then," Maya said, "Where should we go first?" "I'd like a better look at that camera," Nanako said, "How does it work?" "Well after it takes a picture," Gumshoe said, "The data is stored in the security room. Just look at the data and you can see who went inside." Nanako noted the number plate on the camera, reading "ST1-307". _'Must be the ID number,'_ Nanako thought, _'Better jot it down.'_

Maya noticed the giant statue in the back. "This must be the studio mascot," Maya said, "I'm guessing the signs in its hands are pointing to each studio. Studio 1 to the right, and Studio 2 to the left. It looks kinda busted right now, though. Its heads come off." "There was a strong wind yesterday," Gumshoe explained, "It took down both the statue head and the tree behind it." "Well," Wright said, "I think we need to have a talk with Ms. Oldbag about that photo." He walked back to the main gate with Maya and Nanako behind him.

* * *

_October 16_

_Global Studios_

_Main Gate_

"Looks like the security lady is busy stuffing her face," Maya said when they got to the guard station, "I guess all cops like donuts." "It's because they go good with coffee," Nanako said, "My dad usually needs several cups to keep going through late nights. Plus they're soft so chewing them is pretty simple." Wendy noticed the trio from the window and came out to greet. "Hey there. So, convinced of Powers's guilt yet." "Not quite," Wright said, "For starters, you never mentioned the security photo." "Oh that," Wendy said, "I thought it would be more thrilling to talk with the detective first."

"This isn't a movie," Nanako said, "It's important to always tell everything you know to a person investigating a crime or it only makes it harder for them to do their job." "Right," Wendy said, "Anyway, the camera for the studio is left of the main gate, right on the archway with the big welcome sign. But you've probably already seen it. Part of my job is checking the photos every day." "And the camera is automatic?," Wright asked. Wendy nodded. "It can always tell when someone walks through the gate. Then it snaps a photo and records the time when the picture was taken. It's so simple even someone my age can understand. All I have to do is check the security data in the guard station." "Interesting," Wright said. He then led the tow girls over to the employee area.

* * *

_October 16_

_Global Studios_

_Employee Area_

"This is so cool," Maya said, "This is where they do all the behind-the-scenes action for the show." "You're going all fangirl on us," Nanako said, "You should try to calm down, we have work to do." She took a look around. "I see Powers's dressing room over there, and the place looks pretty deserted. Let's have a look around." She checked out the tables around the area. "Looks like the remains of yesterday's lunch are still here. Remanents of a t-bone steak from the look of it. They must have been too shocked from the murder to clean up. Let's head inside the dressing room."

* * *

_October 16_

_Global Studios_

_Dressing Room_

"This is where Powers claimed he was sleeping," Wright said, "Though there's no one who can prove that alibi. And there's still the picture of him we need to find out about." Nanako took a look around the room and spotted a brown leather bag near a dresser. "This must belong to Mr. Powers. Let's see what inside it." She took a look and pulled out an employee cardkey. "This must be Powers's Studio One card pass. Let's borrow this so we can get inside the crime scene." They headed back to the studio entrance.

* * *

_October 16_

_Studio One Entrance_

"We know they found Hammer's body in Studio one," Nanako said, "And now that we have this cardkey we can get inside." She tried the cardkey on the lock and the studio doors opened. "Awesome Nanako!," Maya said, "Now we can check out the studio! I can't wait to see what it looks like!" "You're way too happy about this," Wright said, "In case you've forgotten, we're investigating a crime scene." "I know, I know," Maya said, waving her hand, "My interests are pure professional." _'Yeah right,'_ Wright thought as they headed inside the studio.

* * *

_October 16_

_Studio One_

Maya turned quiet after they got to where the crime scene was. "Jeez. It's really chilling, seeing that white tape here." "Didn't you already see a crime scene with an actual dead body?," Nanako said. "Don't remind her," Wright said, "She actually fainted not long after seeing it." "Can you blame me!?," Maya said, "It was my sister's dead body after all!" "Anyway," Wright said, "So far all we know is the 'Evil Magistrate' died here, and the 'Steel Samurai' killed him. And the murder weapon was the Samurai Spear." "Seems they've outlined where the body was lying already," Nanako said, "My dad says the tape is for reference since they can't leave the body there."

Wright nodded. "Hammer's body was found still inside the Evil Magistrate costume. Must be why the head looks like a helmet. I wonder why there are no bloodstains at the scene. You'd expect to see at least a few from a spear stabbing." "The costume may have absorbed most of it," Nanako said, "You see it all the time in cases like this." Maya checked out the TV camera nearby. "Cool. This thing must cost a ton." "Maya, don't anything that obviously isn't evidence," Wright said. Maya must not have been listening, because she picked up the camera and nearly dropped it because it was so heavy.

"Hey! No touching!," came a young woman's voice. The girl looked to be around twenty or so, wearing a t-shirt and jeans with a khaki vest over her shirt. Her light brown hair was done up in a ponytail and she wore rounded glasses. There was a studio pass around her neck. "Sorry about that," Wright said, "My partner is just overly excited. Who are you exactly?" "Penny Nichols," the girl said, "An assistant here at the studio." "I'm Phoenix Wright," Wright said, "An attorney representing Will Powers. This is my assistant, Maya Fey, and III junior member Nanako Dojima."

"Oh I see," Penny said, "So your WP's people. Well, I certainly envy the headache you're likely to have trying to help the guy, but do your best. I don't care what anyone else says, I know he'd never hurt a fly." "That's our job," Wright said, "Can you tell us anything about the day of the murder?" "Sure," Penny said, "I the only assistant on staff that day, and was in the studio the whole time." Nanako raised her eyebrow. "Only one assistant to do so much work." Penny shrugged. "The studio isn't doing well right now. We're shorthanded. And yesterday we only had rehearsals for one of our actions scenes."

"Could you tell us about that?," Nanako asked. "Okay," Penny said, "That morning we went through the action sequences in the employee area. WP and Hammer were there, as well as everyone else who works in the studio." "And Powers's dressing room is in the employee area, correct?," Wright asked. "Yep," Penny replied, "After the lunch break, Mr. Hammer headed out to Studio One. After that I saw WP go into his dressing room. After that, I didn't see either of them until the incident."

"Mr. Powers claimed to have been sleeping in his room," Wright said, "Do you know anything about that?" "No!," Penny said, "I wouldn't go in there unless it was urgent... I mean, that's his private... What kind of girl do you think I am anyway!?" "Sorry!," Wright said, "I was just trying to confirm his alibi." "We're in real trouble here," Maya said, "Powers was the only one seen entering the studio, and there's a photo of it." "I don't know about that," Penny said, "You see, that day at around noon, I could swear I sensed someone's presence."

Wright raised his eyebrow. "Are you sure it wasn't one of the employees?" Penny nodded. "I'm positive. The only thing we had scheduled for that day was an action scene run-through, and I was the only assistant. I may be wrong, but I think it may have been someone from the outside." "Hold on," Maya said, "If someone else had come here, that security lady would have noticed them, right?" "Hey, that's right," Wright said, "We should ask her about this. It may be our chance to get some more information out of her. Let's head back to the main gate."

* * *

_October 16_

_Global Studios_

_Main Gate_

"We have to talk Oldbag!," Maya said. "About what?," Wendy said, "I've already said everything I know." "Humor us for a bit," Wright said, "You said you came here at 1:00 PM, and the estimated time of Hammer's death was 2:30, correct? Are you sure that Powers was the only person to go through her between those times?" "Of course I am," Wendy said, "Why do you keep asking?" "Cause we met someone who thinks that someone from outside the studio entered the gate," Nanako said, "Are you sure you were watching the whole time?"

Wendy suddenly turned livid. "Who told you that!? Who would dare question my work ethic!?" Maya freaked. "Just the assistant in Studio One..." Wendy balled her fist. "That little brat isn't even a full time employee. Young'uns today have no sense of true work ethic or respecting ones elders..." She started ranting again until Nanako blew her air horn. After clearing out her ears, Wendy turned mad again and raced off for Studio One. "Wow...," Maya said, "Anyway, now that she's gone, we check the guard station." Nanako entered the station and checked the computer.

"Let's see here," she said, "The camera turned on at 1:00, when Ms. Oldbag arrived. The number on the camera was... 'ST1-307'. And here we are." The computer printed out a copy of the photo from the data. Wright took a look at the photo. "Hold on... This isn't exactly a photo of Will Powers, just the Steel Samurai. Then again, since Powers is normally the one who wears the costume, she may have just assumed it was him." "I can't imagine Gumshoe was happy to get just this as evidence," Maya said. "No," Wright said, "But I sure am. Since this doesn't show Powers's face, it means we stand a better chance in court."

Nanako looked on the back. "Looks like there's something printed here. It says, 'October 15, 2:00 PM, Photo #2'." "#2?," Wright said, "That mean there's more data from that day." "Not really," Nanako said, "This was the only photo in the data. Still, the fact that there was more than one photo taken that day is even better ammo for tomorrow." "This is better than we thought," Maya said, "We'll that security lady this photo and put her on the spot." "Not just yet," Wright said, "We'll what until trial tomorrow. This will have a bigger impact then. This photo is certainly good evidence for us. Let's get ready for tomorrow. I have a feeling this trial will have some big surprises."

To be continued...

**Finally got a nice start to trial huh? You can see why I like this case better than the last one. And so folks, trial is next chapter, so read and review (seriously).**


	15. Chapter 15: Turnabout Samurai Part 2

**Second part of this case and we're going to see some stuff go down. Trials can be real nailbiters, y'know. Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, Persona, or Ace Attorney.**

Chapter 15: Turnabout Samurai Part 2

_October 18, 10:00 AM_

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 4_

Wright, Maya, and Nanako took their place at the Defense's Bench. Edgeworth was over at the Prosecutor's Bench, actually looking nervous. The same judge Wright had seen in the last three trials he attended was already seated. "The court is now in session for the trial of Will Powers," the judge said. Once he confirmed the defense and prosecution were ready, he turned to Edgeworth. "You may proceed with your opening statement, Mr. Edgeworth." Edgeworth nodded. "The prosecution will show today that at 2:30 PM on October 15, Will Powers had killed fellow actor Jack Hammer at Studio One of Global Studios. It is impossible for anyone else to have committed this crime, and we intend to prove this through the evidence presented."

The judge stroked his beard. "Very well, the prosecution may call its first witness." "Of course," Edgeworth said, "My first witness is someone this court is already familiar with. Detective Dick Gumshoe, the chief investigator for this case." Gumshoe walked up to the witness stand. "Now then," Edgeworth said, "Detective, please describe for us the details of this case." Gumshoe nodded and got out a guidemap of the studio grounds. "To understand this case, it's important to know the layout of Global Studios." He pointed to the spot marked for the employee area. "The actors were doing a run-through of an action scene during the morning in this area here."

He then pointed to the security station. "The security lady who works at the studios was here later that day at 1:00 PM." He then continued tracing the path until he reached Studio One. "Here we have the scene of the murder, where the body was found. On October 15, there were only three people here; Jack Hammer, the victim; Will Powers, the defendant; and Penny Nichols, a production assistant. The production staff was in the Employee Area until noon. After lunch the victim went into Studio One alone. Then at 1:00 PM the security lady got to the guard station."

He tapped the spot marked "gate" on the map. "Now we jump ahead to 5:00 PM that day. The production staff came to Studio One to perform a rehearsal. Needless to say, with the villain dead they had to cancel rehearsal. We confirmed the time of death at around 2:30 that day. The murder weapon was the Samurai Spear, found lodged in the victim's chest. And that's the case in brief." _'Simple and easy to follow,'_ Wright thought, _'Good to have a grasp on the basics.' _"Rather medieval to use a spear as a murder weapon," the judge said, "Nevertheless, we'll have this added to the Court Record."

"Your Honor," Edgeworth said, "This case becomes rather easy if you simply ask yourself, 'What did the security lady at the guard station see?' And on that note, I would like to call the security lady to stand as my next witness." After Wendy came up to the stand, Edgeworth said, "Your name and occupation please." "Wendy Oldbag," Wendy said, "Security detail for Global Studios." She then Edgeworth. "Well now, aren't you the handsome one! I think I've grown a bit flustered!" Edgeworth was taken aback as Maya, Wright, and Nanako all stifled laughs. Even the judge found himself chuckling a little.

Edgeworth cleared his throat. "If we could please get on with the testimony?" "We know the witness was stationed at the main gate on the day of the murder," the judge said, "And to get to the murder scene, someone would have to pass by that guard station, correct?" "That's right," Wendy said. The judge nodded. "Very well then. The witness may begin her testimony. The defense has the right to cross-examine should they find anything wrong with the testimony." "Sure thing," Wendy said, "On the day of the murder, I arrived at the guard station at 1:00 PM. Poor old Hammer and the rest had been doing a run-through there since the morning. I, well, I had some errands to run that morning. Anyway, it was 1:00 when I got to the guard station. I was at the main gate from then until 5:00! Now, the murder happened at 2:30 PM, right? Interesting to me, because a certain man walked right by me at 2:00 PM. It was Powers! That man right there, and he was heading toward the studio!"

"OBJECTION!," Wright called out, "Ms. Oldbag. You've been saying since yesterday that you 'saw Mr. Powers'. However, who does the figure in this picture look like to you?" He showed the court the photo from the guard station. The judge took a look. "This... Doesn't look like Powers to me. Just someone in a costume." "That would be the Steel Samurai costume, Your Honor," Wright said, "Now, Ms. Oldbag, is this the 'Mr. Powers' that you saw that day." "Well, yeah," Wendy said, "I mean, anyone can see that's Powers in that photo, right?" Edgeworth looked flabbergasted. "Well... I wonder?"

"It's true that Powers plays the role of the Steel Samurai," Wright said, "But that doesn't mean that Will Powers is the Steel Samurai in this photo!" Wendy flinched. "I... I know that, ya darn whippersnapper! What, do I look like I was born yesterday!?" "No is saying that," the judge said, "But the defense's point is valid. It's impossible to tell just from this photo that the figure is the defendant." "Pshaw," Wendy said, "You're acting like I have no proof that it's him... Which I do, by the way." Both Wright and Edgeworth looked surprised. "Wow," Nanako said, "She's really done her homework."

Edgeworth cleared his throat. "The prosecution would request that the witness make known all the information in your possession ahead of time, thank you!" "Well how was I to know everyone would be so nosy," Wendy said. "You're standing on the witness stand," Nanako said, "That gives both the prosecution and the defense the right to be nosy. And you're also legally obligated to tell the truth everything you see related to a crime." "Oh right," Wendy said, "Anyway, I showed the detective the photo, and he said it was no good as evidence. He never even gave it a second look!"

"Perhaps you would care to testify about this proof of yours," the judge said. "Certainly," Wendy said, "I never say anything I don't mean, mind you! That morning, during the run-through of the action scene... I saw Powers trip and fall!" "HOLD IT!," Wright called out, "Where was the assistant when this happened?" "I think she was in Studio One moving backdrops," Wendy said, "So she wouldn't have known about the injury. Anyway, he broke one of the props, it was a big mess." "HOLD IT!," Wright called out, "He broke a prop?" Wendy nodded. "His own Samurai Spear snapped against the ground when he tripped. I was able to fix it up with duct tape."

"The fact that the murder weapon was broken is important Your Honor," Nanako said, "It should be updated in the Court Record." The judge nodded. "Agreed. Witness, you may continue your testimony." "Okay," Wendy said, "Apparently, he sprained his ankle pretty bad." "HOLD IT!," Wright called out, "How badly was it sprained?" Wendy scratched her chin for a second. "Well, not so much that he couldn't walk around. He was able to go to dressing room to rest up after lunch. I saw him dragging his foot when he walked." Edgeworth cleared his throat. "I think we've heard enough for right now."

The judge seemed to be thinking to himself. "There is one thing that's been on my mind until now... Just where is the Steel Samurai costume?" Edgeworth seemed to hesitate for a bit, then said, "We... Couldn't find it. We're still looking, though. But that's not important right now. The point is the Steel Samurai was seen heading for the crime scene that day, and that is was Will Powers who was the Steel Samurai." "Let's not jump to conclusions," Wright said, "We're only talking possibilities here. This photo only shows the Steel Samurai, not Will Powers!"

"Indeed," the judge said, "And there's also the possibility that someone not caught on camera could have killed Mr. Hammer." Edgeworth tapped his temple. "Then perhaps the witness should continue her testimony. I believe that will clear up all doubts." "Sure thing, handsome," Wendy said with a wink, causing Edgeworth to shudder. Wright could barely keep from snickering. "Let's see now," Wendy said, " The time of poor Hammer's death was 2:30 PM, true? The only person I saw go to the studio before then was Will Powers! No one else went there! If they had, I would have seen them!" "OBJECTION!," Wright called out, "Let's take a look at the photo again, but a different perspective."

He flipped the photo over so that the court could see the printed back. "This photo was taken by the camera at the gate," Wright explained, "Whenever someone passes by that camera, it automatically takes a picture. Then the computer in the guard station records the data from the camera." "You really your stuff there sonny," Wendy said, "But where's as this leading?" "Easy," Wright said, "On the back of the photo are printed the words, 'October 15, 2:00 PM, Photo #2'. Naturally this was taken on the day of the murder about a half-hour before the incident took place. What's really important is the #2 part."

"What about it?," Wendy asked. "Nanako checked that computer herself during her investigation," Wright said, "And this was the only photo data in the computer. Rather odd, wouldn't you say? If this were the only photo, then it should be Photo #1!" "How strange," the judge said, "But what does it mean?" "That's what I want to know," Wright said, "Well, Ms. Oldbag? I think it's obvious that this evidence shows there were two people who went to the studio that day, but there is only one photo. And there's only one person who could have erased the data for the other photo... You, the security lady!"

Wendy flinched, then grew angry. "You watch your mouth, ya little whippersnapper! I only saw Powers that day!" "Perhaps you did," Wright said, "But the camera fired twice, meaning a second person passed by the gate." Wendy quickly became speechless. "Perhaps the witness would care to explain this obvious contradiction?," the judge said. "Um... Well...," Wendy said, "I really don't understand these new-fangled computers." "That's funny," Nanako said, "Just yesterday you told us the controls for the camera were so easy even someone as old as you could figure it out." "Oh... Well, uh," Wendy stammered, "A-A little Edgey-poo?"

Edgeworth flinched. "As... As much as I'd like to, I'm afraid the defense has given a valid point in this matter." Wendy scoffed. "Some help you are, ya big whippersnapper! Wait..." She started to think to herself. "Whippersnapper...?" She hit her fist against her palm. "Of course... I'd completely forgotten about him." "Let me guess," the judge said, "There _was_ someone who passed by the gate other than the Steel Samurai." "Well... Yes," Wendy said, "Sorry, but I didn't remember him until just now." The judge sighed. "Then let's have your testimony."

"Fine then," Wendy said, "Every day, after I finish my guard duties, I have one other important job to do. I go through the photos recorded on the security computer and check them. I throw out any photos that aren't suspicious lookin', you see. Come to think of it, now I do remember throwing out one photo that day!" "HOLD IT!," Wright called out, "Just who was in that photo you erased?" "A fanboy," Wendy said, "You know, Steel Samurai fanboys. They get information about rehearsals from who-knows-where. As a matter of fact, there was one there that day." "OBJECTION!," Wright called out, "Didn't you just say there was no one else who could get into the studio?"

"Well, actually," Wendy said, "There is a drain that goes into the Employee Area. The grate there has been loose for a while. It leads to the outside. That's how those little whippersnappers come in." "Hold on," Wright said, "Are saying these fanboys... Are children?" "Yep," Wendy said, "There was one on the photo I erased. He looked to be about 2nd or 3rd grade." Wright grumbled. "I think it goes without saying that a child could NOT have committed this murder." The judge stroked his beard. "Indeed. For starters someone that young could not have wielded the Samurai Spear. In any event, I'd like to take a five minute recess. The defense and prosecution will consider this new information."

* * *

_October 18, 11:08 AM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 3_

"I need you to tell me straight Powers," Wright said, "Were you really in your dressing room?" Powers nodded. "I swear I was! I was sleeping up until after 5:00." "But then," Maya said, "Who was the Steel Samurai in the photo?" Powers shrugged. "I wouldn't know that. The Steel Samurai costume was in my dressing room, off in a corner. With my door unlocked, anyone could have taken it." "You should take better care of that stuff," Nanako said. "Well," Powers said, "I didn't think anyone would try and steal it." Wright scratched his chin in thought. "It's impossible for us to get a favorable verdict today. Our only choice is to play for more time, and I have just the thing. We need to target someone else who could have conceivably committed this crime. It'll take them so long to shoot us down, we can earn ourselves another day to investigate." The group headed back to the courtroom.

* * *

_October 18, 11:13 AM_

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 4_

"Court will now reconvene for the trial of Will Powers," the judge said. "It is the prosecution's belief that nothing had changed," Edgeworth said, "As the defense stated, it would have been impossible for the only other person seen entering the studio to have committed the murder. While the photo is far from hard evidence, it still leaves only one person who could have killed Jack Hammer." "I disagree," Wright said, "There _is_ one other person who could have committed this crime!" "Interesting," the judge said, "And who would you say that person is?" Wright slammed his hands on the bench. "There's only one other person... The security lady, Wendy Oldbag!"

Wendy flinched. "We can see the Steel Samurai dragging his leg in the picture," Wright said, "Which means whoever was in the suit knew about Powers's injury from that morning. Perhaps because they had been watching the action scene run-through. And other than Hammer and Powers, only one other person knew about the injury. That was you, Wendy Oldbag!" Wendy started to grow angry again. "You... You whippersnapper!" "Ms. Oldbag was standing guard alone at the main gate," Wright continued, "As such, she has no real alibi. She could have briefly left her post and stolen the costume from Powers's dressing room. And then after that, she slipped into Studio One, the scene of the murder!"

"But why go through all the trouble of wearing the costume?," the judge asked. "Because of the security camera," Wright explained, "Ms. Oldbag knew the camera would automatically take her picture. If she was wearing the costume, then she could point the finger at Mr. Powers!" "I see," the judge said, "That was an excellent bit of deductive reasoning." _'That was impressive,'_ Nanako said, _'Only why hasn't Edgeworth tried to object yet?'_ "Mr Edgeworth," the judge said, "What are your thoughts on the defense's claims?" Edgeworth had his arms crossed. "The prosecution has no meaningful objections at this time, Your Honor."

Wendy became flabbergasted. "What's that supposed to mean!?" She scowled. "So, you all think I did then, right!? Come on, Edgey-poo, don't just stand there, do something." "I don't think there's much he can do," Wright said to her, "The same reasoning that puts Powers under suspicion can also be used to cast doubt on your own actions." Wendy stammered, "B-But why would I do something like that to poor Hammer!?" "Mr. Powers lacks a clear motive too," Nanako said, "I could understand the motive if their roles were reversed, and it Hammer who was the defendant with Powers as the victim. But Powers is the star of the show. Why reason would he have to kill a lesser actor?"

"That is a good point," the judge said, "So far the prosecution has yet to present a motive." "Wait just a minute," Wendy said, "What about the other person who went to the studio that day!?" "We've already established that boy is not involved," Wright said, "After all, he's only a child of about ten years of age. And what's more, there's even more proof he could not have committed this crime." He took out the cardkey. "TAKE THAT! A cardkey like is needed to access Studio One, the scene of the crime. There's no way a boy with no formal relation to the studio could have gotten his hands on it!" "That does remove all doubt that the boy could not have done this," the judge said, "Well, does the witness have anything to say about this?"

Wendy growled for a bit. "Fine! If this is how it's gonna be, then I guess I have no choice. The only reason I didn't mention this before is because I was told not to." "You were told not talk about something!?," Wright said in surprise. "But... By whom!?," Edgeworth asked, equally surprised. "Perhaps the witness would care to testify about this," the judge said. "Glady," Wendy said, " Global Studios wanted me to keep quiet about something. There were... Some other people at the studios on the day of the murder." "HOLD IT!," Wright called out, "Just who were these people?"

"Well for starters," Wendy said, "There was the director and the producer." "I thought there was something fishy," Nanako said, "Why would they do a scene run-through without the director present?" "I was actually surprised no one had asked about it," Wendy said. "Where were these people?," Wright asked. "The director was in the Employee Area all morning," Wendy said, "Then after lunch he joined the producer and they had a meeting. I think they were in the Studio Two trailer. Here, you can see where the studio is on the guidemap." She pointed out the studio's location.

_'I remember that spot,'_ Wright said, _'That's where the monkey statue was.'_ "You Honor," Wright said, "We've now learned that there were other people at Global Studios on the day in question. Most importantly, the director and producer were present. Yet they have not been questioned as to their whereabout at the time of the murder! Given this fact, it is impossible to declare a verdict on Mr. Powers!" "Agreed," the judge said, "Henceforth, w have no choice but to suspend the trial for one day. The prosecution will gather more information about the witness, as well as the other people we have just been told of." "Yes, Your Honor," Edgeworth said, though he didn't look happy. The judge banged his gavel. "Court is adjourned."

* * *

_October 18, 1:04 PM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 3_

"Thanks Mr. Wright," Powers said, "I was actually worried there for a while." "Thanks," Wright said, "But it's far from over. Right now we need to head back to the studios and do some more investigating. We need to know more about this director and producer. Guaranteed they'll be showing up as witnesses tomorrow." "There's still one thing on my mind," Maya said, "Just who was in that Steel Samurai costume?" "I'm not entirely convinced it was Ms. Oldbag," Wright said, "But she was the only person I could accuse without getting penalized." "We did need to buy some time," Nanako said, "And now that we have it, let's put it to use."

To be continued...

**Fun huh? This may be one of those "filler cases", but it does have a few details that crop up in later, more important cases. So, read and review (seriously, please review).**


	16. Chapter 16: Turnabout Samurai Part 3

**This next chapter introduces one of the STRANGEST characters you will ever see in this series. I'm still wondering what Capcom was thinking when they wrote his lines. Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, Persona, or Ace Attorney.**

Chapter 16: Turnabout Samurai Part 3

_October 18_

_Wright & Co. Law Offices_

"Man," Wright said as he stretched himself out, "What a day. We bought ourselves some time with that trial, but we still more evidence to prove Will Powers's innocence. Ideally, we'd want to find the person whose really responsible." "Or at the very least," Nanako said, "Find evidence that someone else _could_ have done this, and that Powers couldn't have." "So," Maya said, "This means we're going to investigate those people we found out about in today's trial, right?" Wright nodded. "And that means we're heading back to global studio."

* * *

_October 18, 2:16 PM_

_Global Studios_

_Main Gate_

"Hey take a look," Maya said, "The coast is clear." "Probably because they still have Ms. Oldbag in custody," Wright said, "The studio probably doesn't have anyone to replace her right now. Which means for now, anyone is free to enter and leave the studio as they wish." "I was thinking about that," Nanako said, "And I wonder... Maybe that fanboy we learned about didn't commit the crime, but he may still be connected... As a witness. If we can find him and get him to say what he knows, it might provide a valuable lead." "Maybe," Wright said, "But for now we have other people to question. Let's head for the studios."

* * *

_October 18_

_Global Studios_

_Employee Area_

Maya soon spotted Penny hanging around the tables. "Hey there, what's up?" "Hey," Penny said when she saw the group, "You're WP's lawyers, right? I heard about the trial earlier today. That was a nice job!" "Thanks," Wright said, "But so far we only succeeded in extending the trial. We still have a ways to go." "I heard they caught that security lady," Penny said, "Is that true?" "Well," Nanako said, "We're not completely sold on her being the true culprit, but it bought us some time." She then noticed the drain had been covered up. "Who did that?" "Oh," Penny said, "That was me. Ms. Oldbag called and asked to cover the drain."

_'Too keep the fanboys out no doubt,'_ Wright thought. "Looks like there's still a mess around here," Maya said, "Did no one have time to clean up?" Penny looked embarrassed. "Sorry. I'm... Not so good with handiwork. Sometimes the props and back-drops I work with wind up worse than before I fix them." Maya smiled. "Well, don't worry about it so much. Things like this happen all the time." "Thanks," Penny said with a smile, "Anyway, I should head back to the guard station. I'm filling in for Ms. Oldbag for the time being." "Cool," Maya said, "See ya!"

Once Penny was gone, Nanako went over to the covered up drain. "If the fanboy they were talking about came through here... Looks like they did a hurried job of patching it up. Taking this off from this side won't take much effort. If we take this off, that kid can come in here and we can talk with him." She carefully removed the tape and cardboard that was used to cover the drain. "I'd like to ask Penny a few more questions," Wright said, "And since we now where she's going to be, I guess that means we head back to the guard station real quick."

* * *

_October 18_

_Global Studios_

_Main Gate_

"Hello," Penny said when she saw the group. "You look a little out of place here," Maya said, "Must be the clothes." "Yeah," Penny said, "I thought with my camo vest I could pull off a sort of 'alternative guard fashion' thing." "So how are the studio doing right now?," Nanako asked. Penny sighed. "Not so good. It's hard to get any work done with the police wandering around. I can't even clean up because the police don't want me 'disturbing evidence'. I haven't even been able to clean up our lunch plates from the day of the murder." "You mean those plates with the steak bones in the employee area?," Wright asked, "I guess even trash can become evidence."

"Say Penny," Maya said, "Do fanboys often sneak into the studio?" "Not to many," Penny said, "But there is one that I see a bunch of times. He's always gawking at the sets, or snapping pictures. Seriously, whenever Oldbag gets wind of him, she goes off like a roman candle. But she always has trouble catching him." "Speaking of," Wright said, "I heard at trial today that the director and producer were her on the day of the murder." "Sorry," Penny said, "But I was in the prop storage room, so I didn't see them, though it would make sense they were here. The studio bigwigs have been trying to keep that on the down-low."

"So they were trying to protect the director?," Maya asked. "Well," Penny said, "More the producer than the director. She's the real star here at the studio. She actually saved these studios from the brink of disaster. It's only because of her that Global Studios keeps running. Heck, if she wasn't here we wouldn't be in business anymore!" "Interesting," Nanako said. She took a look at the guidemap. "I wonder if another look at Powers's dressing room would shed some new light." The group headed back to the employee area."

* * *

_October 18_

_Global Studios_

_Dressing Room_

As soon as they entered the dressing room, someone yelled, "WTF? Who are j00 d00dz!? LMAO!" Nanako looked to see a rotund man in his mid-thirties. He was wearing blue jeans, a red shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and a blue jacket also with the sleeves rolled up. He had on thick squared glasses, and his short black hair was tucked under his blue cap, which was turned backwards and had a top-knot attached. There was also a towel drapped over his shoulders. "Sorry," Nanako said, "Nanako Dojima, III investigator. This is Phoenix Wright, attorney at law, and his assistant, Maya Fey. And you would be...?"

The man scoffed. "L4m3rs! How can j00 not know the great Sal Manella!? I am the one who makes teh L33T SH0WZ! The Steel Samurai is my latest creations. RTFC!" "What?," Wright said. "Read The Film Credits," Nanako explained, "Seems someone has a case of internet chatroom syndrome. So you're the director, correct?" "That's right," Sal said. He then noticed Maya. Maya started to get uncomfortable from Sal's staring, when he suddenly snapped his fingers. "That's it! You there, in the cosplay uniform!" "Me...?," Maya asked, confused. "You have triggered my CR34T1V3 P0W3RZ!," Sal said in excitement, "Yes... Yes, It's coming!"

He got out a sketchpad and started drawing. The finished product was of a female figure dressed in armor similar to the Steel Samurai, with butterfly wings on her back. "BEHOLD!," Sal said, "The 'Pink Princess'! This shall be the ultimate sequel to the Steel Samurai, The Pink Princess: Warrior of Little Olde Tokyo! ROFL... LMAO!" "Hey," Maya said, looking miffed, "Why does it have to be 'Little' Olde Tokyo!?" Nanako cleared her throat. "Well, that aside, perhaps you'd be willing to answer a few of our questions? We're here on behalf of Will Powers."

"Sure," Sal said, "Just don't take too much of my time." "For starters," Nanako said, "Did you see anything unusual on the day of the murder?" "Not much," Sal said, "It was a pretty regular day for the studio. We had a run-through for an action scene that morning. After that, we had a meeting from lunchtime in the Studio Two trailer. I was so busy that say, I couldn't even eat lunch!" "T-bone steak, right?," Nanako said, "The plates from that day are still out in the employee area." "Yeah... Sux0rz!," Sal said, "I hate missing out on food... But I digress. I was in a meeting from noon until after 4:00. The producer and a few bigwigs from the network were there with me."

"About that producer," Nanako asked, "Who is she?" "Her's name's Dee Vasquez," Sal said, "A real genius, that one. M4d sk1llz for sure. But she can be real scary, even at her calmest. I hear she brought these studios back from the brink of destruction. Heck, it was because of her that I was able to make the Steel Samurai! Anyway, the two of us were together with a few people from the network from noon to 4:00 that day." "What people exactly?," Nanako asked. "Let's see," Sal said, "There was the boss from the network, and of course a few of the sponsors. Not to mention a few production guys. They all piled into a limousine and got here around noon."

"And they were all with you until 4:00?," Nanako asked. "Yeah," Sal said, "To tell the truth, I really hate those meetings. Except for Vasquez, the whole lot of them are a bunch of gray-haired geezers." Nanako finished writing in her notebook. "I think that's all the questions I have for now," she said, "We'll come back if we think of anything else. Come on, you guys, I think we should check out Studio Two." They headed off, leaving Sal to continue thinking on the details of his newest project.

* * *

_October 18_

_Studio One Entrance_

"I don't see Gumshoe here," Maya said, "I guess he's mired in paperwork after today's trial." Nanako looked around. "I see the path to Studio Two, just past the monkey statue over there." "Wouldn't it be something if those people the director told us about were there," Wright said, "They could prove to be reliable witnesses. In particular, we need to ask the producer about her own whereabouts that day. Confirming what Manella told us would be a huge step one way or the other." The group headed to Studio Two.

* * *

_October 18_

_Studio Two Entrance_

The studio seemed to be devoid of any other humans, until a sudden crash was heard from the nearby trailer. "W-What was that?," Maya asked in obvious shock. "Someone must be inside there," Wright said. He walked up to the door. "Hello?" He knocked. "Hello!" There was no answer. "This is pretty suspicious," Maya said, "Let's go inside." Nanako tried the door, only to find it locked. "No good, we need a key for this. Let's check the guard station and see if there's a spare one there." "Sounds good," Wright said, "If they'll let us borrow it."

* * *

_October 18_

_Global Studios_

_Main Gate_

"Ah hah!," came Wendy's voice, yelling at the top of her lungs, "You again!" Wright chuckled nervously. "Well... You certainly got back to your post quickly." "Hmph," Wendy said, "After the police took me in, they got out a spare Steel Samurai outfit and had me try it on. Of course, I'm a little too short to be wearing that costume, so after I tried it on and it didn't fit, the police let me go." "Sorry for earlier," Nanako said, "But we do have a job to do. We were just buying time." "Fine," Wendy said, "But you won't be getting any more information out of me!" _'Or that key, quite obviously,'_ Wright thought. "By the way," Nanako asked, "I would like to know about that kid you saw." "Oh him," Wendy said, "If I ever see that kid again, I'm taking him down! And that no good director too!" Wright gulped. "I think she's serious about this. Why don't we retreat for the safety of the Employee Area for the time being?" The three of them headed off.

* * *

_October 18_

_Global Studio_

_Employee Area_

As soon they got to the employee area, Maya noticed a young boy around ten years old. He was wearing wooden sandals, as well as jean shorts. He also wore a purple and orange shirt with a green jacket over it. There was a green Steel Samurai cap on his head, and he also carried a fake samurai sword and a camera. "Hey there," Maya said, "What's your name?" "Cody Hackins," the boy said, "I'm here to see the Steel Samurai!" "Then I guess you're a fan, right?," Wright asked. "That's right," Cody said, "And I don't care for evildoers running around this place."

"Hey now," Wright said, "No need for that, we're on the Steel Samurai's side. We're trying to help him." "That's right," Nanako said, "We're just trying to find out what happened two days ago. Can you tell us anything about that day?" Cody seemed to hesitate for a second. "You were there that day, right?," Nanako said, "Did you see anything?" "He...," Cody said, "He... Always... The Steel Samurai ALWAYS wins!" And with that, he ran off through the drain, bumping into a table on the way and knocking over an empty bottle. "I wonder what this is," Nanako said, and she collected the bottle for evidence. Wright suddenly had an idea. "Let's head back to the guard station real quick."

* * *

_October 18_

_Global Studios_

_Main Gate_

"I knew it," Wright said. He had spotted Wendy chasing after young Cody around the studio lot. Suddenly, the old lady tripper and fell to the ground. "Hope she's alright," Nanako said, "But now's our chance to check the guard station for that key." She slipped into the station and found what looked like a trailer key. "I think this is it. Let's head back to Studio Two and try it out."

* * *

_October 18_

_Global Studios_

_Studio Two Entrance_

"I still don't hear anything from inside," Maya said, "Try the key, Nanako." Nanako inserted the key in the lock on the door to the trailer and was able to open it. "Okay," Nanako said, "Now let's find out what all the hullabaloo is about in there."

* * *

_October 18_

_Studio Two Trailer_

Inside the trailer they saw an attractive woman who looked to be at least 30 years old. She was wearing a long black dress with a nylon undershirt, as well as long black boots and gloves. There was a black shawl drapped over her head, though her short black hair could still be seen underneath. She was holding a long, thin smoking pipe in her hand. When she saw the group, she said, "Who are you three?" "We're Will Powers's lawyers," Wright explained, "I'm guessing your Ms. Dee Vasquez, the studio producer?" "That's right," Vasquez said.

"We'd like to ask you a few questions about the incident here at the studio," Nanako said. "I'd like to," Vasquez said, "But right now I'm a little busy looking for a script. The one for 'Steel Samurai: Episode 13'. Manella was supposed to have delivered it by now." "We actually saw him near the Employee Area," Maya said, "He's kinda weird." "Then perhaps you would care to give him this," Vasquez said, handing Wright a memo. "Alright... I guess," Wright said as he took the paper, "Let's see if he's still near the dressing rooms."

* * *

_October 18_

_Global Studios_

_Dressing Room_

Sure enough, Sal was still hanging around in the dressing room for whatever reason. "Excuse me Sal," Wright said, "The producer gave us this memo to give you." Sal adjusted his glasses as he read the memo. "Episode 13... Now were did I leave that script. I had to have left it somewhere. Shoot, my ass is p0wned if I can't find it." "Nick," Maya said, "Let's make things faster by finding it ourselves. If we just look in all the places Sal could have been, we're sure to find it." "That sounds like a good idea," Wright said, "Let's start back at Studio One."

* * *

_October 18_

_Global Studios_

_Studio One_

"Back here again," Nanako said, "Let's see if that script isn't somewhere around here." Maya spotted a director's chair. "Hey, take a look at this. The director sits in one of these chairs while he's doing his job right." She took a closer look. "Yo, Nick. I think I found that script." Wright took a look. And the cover of the script book was, "The Steel Samurai: Episode 13, The Dark Messenger Returns". "This must be it," Wright said, "Let's get this over to Vasquez and see if she doesn't reveal a few more facts about this case."

* * *

_October 18_

_Studio Two Trailer_

Wright handed the script over to Vasquez. After she read it for a few seconds, she said, "Alright, this will do just fine. Eccentric as he is, Manella certainly does good work. Now then, you said were you Powers's lawyers, yes? Does this mean I'm a suspect now?" "More a potential witness," Nanako said, "We're here inquiring about the day of the murder." "Very well," Vasquez said, "I assume the director has already told you about the meeting at noon, yes? I can tell you right now that none of the people that were in this trailer at that time went into Studio One. And even if we wanted to, it would have been impossible."

"Impossible?," Nanako said, "How so?" "The path was blocked," Vasquez said, "No doubt you've seen Mr. Monkey, the studio mascot, on the way here." "Yeah," Wright said, "It's head was broken." Vasquez nodded. "There was a severe windstorm that day, causing the head to topple over and into the path between the two studios. They didn't start moving the head until 3:00 that afternoon. It over an hour to get it out of the way." _'And the murder took place at 2:30,'_ Wright thought, _'That's not good for our case.'_ "It's clear from your expression you understand what I'm getting at," Vasquez said, "  
Everyone who was at this trailer was stuck until after the murder had taken place."

"This isn't good," Maya said, "There's doubt the crane company who was called in would corroborate this." "One thing," Nanako said, "How do you know the head didn't fall _after_ 2:30." Vasquez smoked her pipe for a second. "A valid point. But there's something you should know about that statue. When it wasn't broken, it would announce the time in 'ooks'. One 'ook' per hour. To be honest, it gave me a headache. You can go and check the head yourself. It's internal clock stopped when it broke."

"Be right back," Nanako said, and she headed out. She came back about a minute later, not looking very happy. "She's right, unfortunately. The clock stopped at 2:15, before the murder even took place." Wright scratched his chin. _'This isn't good. I need some space to think about this.'_ "We're heading back to the office for the time being," he said, "We need to think of something before trial tomorrow."

* * *

_October 18_

_Wright & Co. Law Offices_

Wright as he sat on the couch. "Things couldn't be worse. Everyone's alibi is water-tight. We're fresh out of clues. And there are no more leads to follow." "I wouldn't say that," came a familiar voice. Wright to see Mia, dressed in Maya's clothes. "I suggested Maya try channeling her sister," Nanako said, "We need a fresh pair of eyes if we're going to solve this." "We sure could have used you earlier," Wright said, "But oh well. Better late than never. Has Nanako told you everything." Mia nodded. "Nick, do you remember that boy from the studio. From hearing Nanako's story, I have a feeling that boy saw something important. We should track him down and see if he'll talk to us." Wright considered it. "Well, it's not like we have much more to lose. Let's get back to the studio."

* * *

_October 18_

_Global Studios_

_Main Gate_

The trio spotted Wendy back at the guard station, looking out of breath. "Are you alright?," Wright asked. Wendy took several deep breaths before muttering, "Whippersnapper..." "I guess she's been chasing Cody this whole time," Nanako said. In spite of herself, Wendy was smiling, "I... I got a hostage now." Wright grew concerned. "What 'hostage'?" Wendy turned to look at the group. "When that was running, he dropped this card. He'll come back for it, I just now he will." Mia tapped Wright on the shoulder. "Phoenix. If we can somehow get that card away from her, we might just get Cody to tell us what he knows."

Wright put a hand to his chin. _'That might work. But the problem is, she's so intent on catching that kid she won't hand it over so easily. I need to find some way of getting her to part with it.'_ The he had a brainstorm. Pulling out the cardkey, he showed it to Wendy. Wendy's eyes lit up when saw it. "That's... That's a Studio One cardkey. I could visit poor Hammer with this." "Hold one," Nanako said, "Don't you have your own card for that studio." "Not my turf, sweetie," Wendy said. "Ms. Oldbag," Wright said, "If we let you borrow this cardkey, will you give us that card you were holding onto." Wendy considered it. "Well... Fine. I don't like leaving debts unpaid anyway." She handed over a Steel Samurai trading card, and Wright gave her the cardkey. After she headed off, Nanako said, "Let's see if we can't find Cody."

* * *

_October 18_

_Global Studios_

_Employee Area_

Wright soon spotted Cody as he crawled back through the drain. "Hey, Cody," Wright called out. But Cody just ran right for the dressing room. "Phoenix," Mia said, "That was that boy, right?" Wright nodded. "It looks he went into Powers's dressing room," Nanako said, "Let's follow him before he decided to run on us."

* * *

_October 18_

_Global Studios_

_Dressing Room_

Wright was quick to spot Cody in the middle of the dressing room. As Cody tried to run, Mia called, "Wait, Cody! We're not here to hurt you." Cody turned to look at Mia. Kneeling over to Cody's height, Mia gave her nicest smile. "Cody, we just you to help us out here, okay?" "Uh...," Cody said, "How did you know my name?" "I'm friends with these two," Mia said, pointing out Wright and Nanako, "My name is Mia Fey." Cody nodded and smiled. "Nice to meet you." Wright nodded and got out the Steel Samurai card. "Cody, I believe this is yours, right?"

Cody looked at the card. "Yeah, that my UR!" "You're what now?," Wright said, a little confused. "My Ultra Rare," Cody said, "Those are pretty hard to come by." "Oh," Wright said, "Yeah, I was big on trading. Anyway, I was hoping you offer us some information if we returned this to you." "That card," Cody said, "I actually don't need it. I have a double of it, so you can have it. Maybe start a collection of your own." Nanako chuckled. "Oh man, I would love to tell Wendy about this. She took that card hostage for nothing." "Tell ya what," Cody said, "If you can find a REALLY rare card, I'd be willing to share what I know."

"Hold on," Wright said, "You mean there's a rarity beyond Ultra Rare!?" Cody said. "The highest level of rarity is Ultra Rare Premium. If you can find me one of those, I'll go ahead and talk." "Oh dear," Mia said, "There's no way we can find a card that rare in time for the trial." "Actually," Nanako said, "I think I spied the production assistant, Penny Nichols, carrying a few cards in her camo vest. Maybe she has the card we're looking for." "It couldn't hurt to try," Wright said, "Let's see if we can find her."

* * *

_October 18_

_Studio Two Trailer_

The trio managed to spot Penny inside the trailer, cleaning up around the place. "Hey there," she said when she saw the group, "What brings you guys here?" "Still investigating," Wright said. Penny nodded, then spotted Mia. "Hey, that girl with you seems a little different... And taller. Is she even the same person?" "It's your imagination, Penny," Nanako said, "Too much work I think. Anyway, we have a few more questions. First off, have you seen that fanboy since the incident?" "Nope," Penny said, shaking her head, "But you missed the funniest thing involving him. Ms. Oldbag was chasing that boy around the lot so fast I almost thought she'd collapse."

"We didn't actually miss it," Nanako said, "We caught a part of it. The poor old lady actually tripped trying to catch that kid." Wright noticed the posters on the back wall had Hammer's face on them. "Are all those movies posters of Jack Hammer?" "Yeah," Penny said, looking over to them, "It was really a big loss for the studio. Then again, his popularity had been waning recently. And there was that one incident..." Nanako raised an eyebrow. "Incident? This is the first we've heard of something else involving Hammer. What was it?" "Sorry," Penny said, "But I probably shouldn't be telling you that."

_'Why do I smell a cover-up?,'_ Wright thought. Then he remembered the card. "Do you anything about this?," he asked, showing Penny the card. Penny's eyes lit up. "That's a Steel Samurai trading card. I collect them myself. In fact, I'm one card away from a complete collection." She then took another look at the card and gasped. "No way! This is it! The last card I need! I've been looking all over for these!" She brought out a few cards of her own. "Please! You have to trade it with me!" "Actually," Nanako said, "We have been looking for an Ultra Rare Premium for a friend of ours." "Then you're in luck," Penny said excitedly, "I have two copies of a URP!" "Thanks," Wright said, and they traded cards. "Looks like we lucked out," Mia said, "Let's see if Cody's still at the dressing room."

* * *

_October 18_

_Global Studios_

_Dressing Room_

Wright found Cody still hanging around the dressing room. "Hey Cody," Wright said, "You're not gonna believe this, but I actually found that Ultra Rare Premium." Cody's eyes lit up when he saw the card. "No way! That the very last card I need for my collection! Wow, you guys are good card hunters." "Alright Cody," Nanako said, "Maybe now you can answer a few of our questions." "Alright," Cody said, "What do you wanna know?" "First off," Nanako said, "I think it's pretty clear you're a major Steel Samurai fan." "Sure am," Cody said, "He's the coolest. The best part is when he vanquishes he foes! Seriously, the Steel Samurai always wins! Here, I even keep a record of all his biggest battles."

He handed Nanako a scrapbook full of pictures of the Steel Samurai. "Wow," Nanako said, "There sure are a lot of these pictures. Did you take all these?" Cody smiled proudly. "Sure did. I go to every live performance, and I take a picture when the Steel Samurai lands the final blow! I never missed a single one! A perfect collection!" _'This kid could easily claim to be the Steel Samurai's biggest fan'_ Nanako thought. "Check this out," Cody said, showing the group his camera, "I got this new digital camera for my birthday. Latest model too." "I guess your parents don't mind you being such a big Steel Samurai fan," Mia said. "So long as I keep my grades up and keep up with my chores," Cody said, "Big incentive to behave around the folks, huh?"

"So Cody," Nanako said, "Do you have a name for your scrapbook?" Cody nodded. "I call it, 'The Steel Samurai: Path to Glory'. Tell you what, why don't you borrow it for now." "Really?," Nanako said, "Are you sure that okay?" "Yeah," Cody said, smiling, "I still got all the data at home, so I can just make another one." Nanako smiled. "I see, thank you. So Cody, you were here on the day of the incident, right?" "Sure was," Cody said. Nanako nodded. "So, did you see anything unusual that day? Please, it's very important you help us. We're here fighting for justice, just like the Steel Samurai would."

Cody seemed to hesitate again. "I... I saw everything!" He seemed to be shaking as he recounted his tale. "I got here that day at around 2:00 in the afternoon. I was cutting through the woods to avoid that old lady at the main gate. But I got lost for... I think half an hour. Then when I finally reached the studio... I saw the Steel Samurai! I saw him kill the bad guy! He used his Samurai Spear, just like always! Bam! One shot, one kill! It happened so fast, I was actually scared for a second. Then I went home." Wright rubbed his chin. "Well, this isn't quite what we were hoping to find. It'll still sound like Powers is the one who killed Hammer."

"If we put this boy on the witness stand," Mia said, "Powers will be found guilty for sure." "Don't be so sure about that," Nanako said, "I can sense it. Cody holding something back. There's something he knows but doesn't want to say... Or admit." Just then, Gumshoe came busting into the dressing room. "Hey, I heard every word of that, pal! This boy just became a key witness!" He walked over to Cody. "Starting now, this boy is under police protection." And with that, Gumshoe lead a reluctant Cody out of the dressing room. "Nanako," Mia said, "What did you mean when you said there was something Cody didn't want to admit?" "Just that," Nanako replied, "I can't explain it. Anyway, we may have a chance to find out about it tomorrow at trial." Wright sighed. "One things for sure, it'll be an uphill battle."

To be continued...

**Still a better case than the last one. And trust me, you'll know what Nanako was talking about soon enough. So, read and review.**


	17. Chapter 17: Turnabout Samurai Part 4

**Next part of this case, but trust me when I say it's far from the last. Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, Persona, or Ace Attorney.**

Chapter 17: Turnabout Samurai Part 4

_October 19, 9:42 AM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 1_

Wright was pacing nervously back and forth in the lobby. _'Unless I can find out something to at least get me an extra day,'_ Wright said, _'Powers will be found guilty for sure. Nanako said something about that kid, Cody, holding something back. I'm sure he'll be called as a witness.'_ "Uh, Mr. Wright?," Powers said, "Are you okay?" Wright looked over to his client. "Sorry, just a little nervous. Yesterday's investigation didn't get us very far." Nanako sighed. "Understatement of the century." Wright looked over to her and Mia. Earlier Wright had asked that Mia be there at court for advise if things started getting bad. She had agreed, but wasn't feeling so confident herself.

Wright took a deep breath. "Nanako, are you sure about Cody holding back something he didn't want to talk about?" "I am," Nanako said, "Nick, you need to remember that I work around Persona users. While I don't have one myself, I can feel a similar connection. Listen, all we need to do is hold out until Cody gets called as witness. I checked, and the director is the first witness being called today, but only to confirm that no one in Studio Two could have committed this crime. Just keep your ears open, and you may spot something that's been overlooked." They then headed for the courtroom.

* * *

_October 19, 10:00 AM_

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 4  
_"Court is now in session for the trial of Will Powers," the judge said as he banged his gavel, "Mr. Edgeworth, if you would give your opening statement?" "Yes, Your Honor," Edgeworth said, "Yesterday we learned something rather unexpected. Namely, that there were other people present at the studios on the day of the murder! To begin with, I would like to give evidence that these people had nothing to do with the murder. To the effect, the prosecution would like to call Mr. Sal Manella to the stand." Sal walked into the courtroom and stood at the witness stand.

"Please your name and occupation," Edgeworth said. "Sal Manella," Sal said, "I'm the creator and director of the Steel Samurai." "Just to clarify," the judge said, "Were you at Global Studios on the day the murder?" "Yes," Sal said, "I think that was already mentioned yesterday." The judge nodded. "Very well. Then you may give your testimony as to the events of the day. The defense is free to cross-examine any statements they find unusual." "Well," Sal said, "I was at the studios from around 9:00 that morning. During the morning, I was doing... Umm... An action scene run-through. It took a lot more time than I thought it would. I hear that everyone else ate lunch in the Employee Area... But I had a meeting in the Studio Two trailer, so I ended up skipping lunch."

"HOLD IT!," Wright called out, "So in the end, you never got to eat?" "Not steak at least," Sal said, "Can j00 believe it? I was looking forward to it too." "That must have been tough," Wright said sarcastically, "But more to the point, it's a little contradictory. I went to that trailer during my investigation yesterday, and there were two paper plates on the table outside it. The same kind that were in the Employee Area. So my next question is... Who ate lunch there?" Sal flinched. "Oh... That... Well, it's a little embarrassing, but I was able to eat after all." "So you did get steak after all," Wright said.

Sal nodded. "The assistant went through all that trouble, I had to at least try it. So I brought it with me to the trailer hoping to eat it later." "And when did you get the chance to eat?," Wright asked. "There was a break during the meeting," Sal said, "I wolfed it down during that time." "Interesting," Wright said, "Regardless, would you please continue your testimony?" "Alright," Sal said, "We were in the meeting until about 4:00... During the meeting, well, I'm pretty sure nobody left their chairs." "HOLD IT!," Wright called out, "So you didn't take a single break?" Sal seemed to hesitate. "Yeah... Not a one!"

Wright slammed his hands against the bench. "Manella, you've just contradicted yourself! You earlier testified that you had eaten a t-bone steak during a break in the meeting!" "Oops!," Sal said, flinching again, "ROFL! You caught me! Yeah, we did take a break." "Your Honor," Wright said, "I request the witness be made to testify about this break in the meeting." "Granted," the judge said, "Mr. Manella, if you would?" "Sure," Sal said, "Yeah, FWIW, we took a break...ROFL! But it was only 15 minutes! 15! That's 13 in Base 12! Not enough time for someone to, say, commit a murder in Studio One! LOL! That's only just enough time to eat a t-bone steak, if you ask me!"

_'Actually,'_ Wright thought, _'15 minutes would be just enough time, and yet...'_ "Something wrong, Wright?," Edgeworth said, "You were surprisingly silent that entire testimony." "That's because, as much as I hate to admit it," Wright said, "It would have been impossible for anyone in Studio Two to have committed this murder." The judge stroked his beard. "Is that so? Care to elaborate?" "Allow me Your Honor," Edgeworth said, "We were able to determine from questioning several of the studio heads that the break mentioned earlier started from the time of death. And, admittedly, 15 minutes would be ample time to commit the murder and return to Studio Two. However, at that time the path between the two studios was blocked."

"Blocked you say," the judge said, "By what?" "The fallen Mr. Monkey head," Edgeworth explained, "You see, there was a severe windstorm at 2:15 that afternoon, and it knocked over the head of the studio mascot. Ergo, the path to Studio One was blocked at the time the people in the trailer took a break." Edgeworth took a quick bow. "I believe that is enough evidence. I would like to relieve Mr. Manella from the stand at this time." "So be it," the judge said, "I suppose we have sufficient evidence to prove that no one in the Studio Two trailer is connected to the murder. But the prosecution still lack decisive evidence that the defendant is the murderer."

"As to that," Edgeworth said, "We have just found decisive evidence during yesterday's investigation. It seems there was a witness who saw the crime on that very day." The judge looked interested. "Is that so? And who is this witness?" "Someone who, until recently, was believed to have no connection to this crime," Edgeworth said, "However, it has recently come to light that this person had seen the very instant when the Steel Samurai skewered his victim!" "Very well then," the judge said, "We will take a 10 minute recess, then hear the testimony of this new witness. Court is adjourned until then."

* * *

_October 19, 11:04 AM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 1_

"So all we found out from that was the people in the trailer couldn't have gone to Studio One," Mia said, "And here I thought there was something we missed." "There is something," Nanako said, "I just can't put my finger on it. Listen, III wouldn't have taken this case if they thought Powers was guilty. We all know who the next witness is. Now's our chance to uncover what it is he's trying to hide." Wright sighed and nodded. "You're right Nanako. Hopefully we'll uncover something that can get Powers off the hook. Because right now, as it stands, we don't have anything that can help us."

* * *

_October 19, 11:15 AM_

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 4_

"We are now ready to reconvene," the judge said, "Mr. Edgeworth?" "Yes, Your Honor," Edgeworth said, "Before I call my next witness, I should mention one thing. This witness is a grade schooler of tender years. It is my concern that the defense may cause unnecessary trauma with his questioning." "It doesn't matter how old a witness is," Nanako said, "As long as they are on the witness stand, they have no choice but answer any questions unless the judge says otherwise. And lest you forget, the judge works for III." Edgeworth sighed. "Very well. I have little choice anyway. The prosecution calls Cody Hackins to the stand."

"Hold on," Nanako said, "There is one thing that should be done first. We need a box for Cody to stand on. He's kinda short." The judge nodded, and had the bailiff bring in a milk carton before Cody was brought up to the witness stand. "Now then," Edgeworth said, "Will the witness please state his name and school grade?" "Cody Hawkins," Cody said, "2nd Grade, and still growing!" He then Wright, Mia, and Nanako. "Hey, it's you guys! Wow, I wasn't to run into you today!" "Well," Wright said, "We are here on behalf of the Steel Samurai after all. Right now we're just trying to get to the truth of the matter."

"Before we begin," the judge said, "I would have both the prosecution and the defense be as gentle as possible. We are dealing with a child after all." "Of course," Edgeworth said, "Now then Cody, you were present at Global Studios on the day of the incident, correct?" "Well, yeah," Cody said, "What, you got a problem with that!?" "Not at all," Edgeworth said, "But I would ask that you tell us what you saw on that day." "One moment," the judge said, "I just realized Cody is carrying a camera with him. You do realize that photographic equipment is strictly forbidden in this courtroom!"

Edgeworth recoiled. "Sorry, Your Honor... But Cody refused to testify unless he was allowed to bring the camera with him. I would request special permission for this." "I suppose," the judge said, "So long as the witness promises not to take any pictures while in the courtroom." "Thanks judge," Cody said, "I just got this new camera too! I still don't quite know how to use it, though. Still, I bring it with me everywhere I go." "Phoenix," Mia said, "If he had that camera with him on the day of the murder..." Wright nodded. "Your Honor, with your permission I'd like this camera to be added to the Court Record."

"Granted," the judge said, "Now then Cody, would you please testify to the court what you saw on the day of the incident?" "Sure thing," Cody said, " I wanted to see a Steel Samurai rehearsal, just once. I found a map on the Internet, and went to the studios that day. I went through the woods, off the path, so that old lady wouldn't catch me. I was going for the studio. I got kinda lost on the way, though. For about 30 minutes. When I came out by the studio, there was the Steel Samurai! It totally rocked! Right before my eyes, out came the bad guy! Of course, the Steel Samurai took him down! Pow! If I had my camera with me, that woulda been the time for a shot, I tell you."

"OBJECTION!," Wright called out, "That seems a little strange what you said just now. Cody, you just said that you always bring your digital camera with you everywhere you go, yes?" Cody looked a little surprised. "Cody," Wright said, "You do realize that it's especially bad to lie in this place, yes? This may have been the first time you ever visited Global Studios, so why wouldn't you bring your camera?" Cody rubbed the back of his head. "Okay, so I did have my camera with me that day, what of it?" "If you had it with you," the judge said, "Perhaps you used it at some point that day?" "Why... Why would I!?," Cody said, "I was busy watching the action!"

"I believe a new testimony is called for," the judge said, "Cody, could you tell us what it was you were so busy watching?" "O-Okay," Cody said, "Y-Yeah, I had my camera with me. But I was glued to the action! I couldn't take my eyes off it! The Steel Samurai he goes for the bad guy... Wham! Then... The bad guy stopped moving!" "HOLD IT!," Wright called out, "Why wasn't the bad guy moving?" "W-Well," Cody stammered, "It's because the Steel Samurai brought him to justice of course!" "Maybe you could elaborate a little bit," Wright said. "Sure," Cody said, "He went in with a Samurai Kick! And then a super-strong Samurai Punch! Then a Samurai Chop, and a Samurai Slap! It... Was something like that..."

"I find something wrong with that," Wright said, "In fact, for someone who 'couldn't take your eyes off the action', you seem to be missing the most important part!" "OBJECTION!," Edgeworth called out, "The witness just stated what he saw quite clearly." "OBJECTION!," Wright called out, "You know as well as I do that he's being vague Edgeworth. After all, what kind of murderer uses a 'Samurai Slap'!? Cody, while you may have seen some of the Steel Samurai's fight, but you missed the most important part... The killing blow!"

"That does sound like a vital part of the fight," the judge said, "But how could Cody have missed it?" "I can only think of one reason why such a dedicated Steel Samurai fan would miss the climax of the fight," Wright said. He presented Cody's camera. "TAKE THAT! Cody has stated that he got this camera fairly recently. In fact, he mentioned yesterday that it was a birthday present. He's also stated that he's not quite familiar with how the camera works yet." "Ah hah!," the judge said, "Hence the reason why Cody would take his eyes off the fight. He was too busy looking at his camera trying to figure out how it worked."

"Exactly Your Honor!," Wright said, "Cody was trying to take a picture of the crucial moment of the Steel Samurai's victory! Cody, I'm assuming you actually _missed_ that crucial moment, correct?" Cody hesitated for a bit, then muttered, "Yeah..." "He's hiding more than that," Nanako said, "We need to have him testify again!" Wright nodded. "Your Honor, if I may." The judge nodded. "Cody, perhaps you could tell a little more about your camera and why you were unable to take a picture of the fight?" "Well...," Cody muttered, "Alright... Yeah, you're right, pops. The Steel Samurai has just escaped from the clutches of the villain. So I held up my camera to take a picture! But the lens wouldn't open in time, so I missed it. Th-That's all that happened. Yup."

"HOLD IT!," Wright said, "Are you sure that's all? Because I have a feeling you DID take a picture that day! After all, whether or not you missed the climax of the fight, you would still have taken a picture of your hero once you figured out how to get the lens open." "Oh...," Cody said, "Well... Yeah, I took a few shots, but it was too late, so I erased 'em." "OBJECTION!," Wright said, "Cody, let me first thank you for letting me borrow this." He held out Cody's scrapbook. "You told me something yesterday. You said you go to every live performance of the Steel Samurai, and you always take a picture when he lands the final blow. In fact, you even said that you have a perfect collection, which Nanako has been able to verify by the way."

"Where are you going with this?," Edgeworth asked. "You'll see in a minute," Wright said, "So tell me Cody, did you really get a picture of the Steel Samurai standing victorious over his foe? Cause if you did, there's no way you'd erase it. You would have saved it for your album!" "One moment," the judge said, "Just what is this album?" "It's called 'Path to Glory'," Wright said, "And it's a collection of pictures taken of the Steel Samurai by Cody Hackins. According to him it's a perfect collection of every battle the Steel Samurai has won, and for the most part he's right. However, there is one picture he's missing... The picture of the Steel Samurai taken on the day incident!"

"My word," the judge said, "How can you explain this Mr. Wright? I mean, if the Steel Samurai had just defeated his foe, then I would expect to see a picture of it in this album." "I'd like to know that myself...," Wright said. As he scratched his chin, a sudden horrid thought came upon. _'No... It can't be... Is this it? Is this what Nanako was talking about?'_ "You've figured it out," Nanako said, "Haven't you Phoenix. When I realized Cody was missing only the last picture in his album, I realized what he was trying to hide... From himself as well as everyone else." "It's hard to believe," Wright said, "Yet it's the only reason I can think of. Your Honor, I suddenly realized why Cody would have erased that photo."

"Oh?," the judge said, "And what reason would that be?" Wright took a deep breath. "The Steel Samurai... Didn't win! That's the only reason Cody would have erased those photos!" The judge looked shocked. "Hold on... Are you saying it was the Steel Samurai that lost?" Wright looked over to Cody. "Well Cody... Am I right?" Cody started shaking. "T-That's... That's impossible! The Steel Samurai never loses! He never loses to anyone!" "Your Honor," Wright said, "I believe this confirms it. There was a reason why Cody was lying about not taking a picture, and erasing all his photos. For him, it was inconceivable that the Steel Samurai could be defeated by anyone... Yet that's exactly what he saw that day! He couldn't admit it to anyone, so he lied and said the Steel Samurai won the battle."

The judge stroked his beard. "Cody... Is this all true? Please, tell the court what you really saw that day." Cody started quivering, then began to cry, placing his head on the banister of the witness stand. Nanako walked over to him and offered him a tissue. "Cody," Wright said, "I know this is hard, but I have to ask this. You saw the Steel Samurai lose a fight that day, right?" Cody, his eyes filled tears, nodded. "Yes... It... It was impossible... But I saw... I saw the Steel Samurai fall down... I thought he would get back up, cause he had been knocked to the ground before... But this time... This time he stopped moving..."

Cody started bawling again. "What kind of stunt is this?," Edgeworth said, "The Steel Samurai was murderer, not the victim!" "Yet according to YOUR witness," Wright said, "The Steel Samurai is the one who fell! And that can only mean one thing... This court has made a serious error! Knowing what we know now throws a whole new perspective on the case. It was the Steel Samurai who fell to the ground, which makes him the victim instead of the killer. Which means that the person wearing the Steel Samurai costume was not Will Powers... It was Jack Hammer!" "So what you're saying," the judge said, "Is that the Steel Samurai in the photograph is actually the victim, not the defendant?"

"That's right," Wright said, "Don't forgot Hammer was at the action scene run-through as well. After all, a good action scene needs both the hero _and_ the villain. And Hammer would have known about Powers's foot injury." "But I was under the impression that Hammer had already gone to Studio One," the judge said. "That's what we all thought," Wright said, "But think back to Wendy Oldbag's testimony yesterday. She had arrived at 1:00 that day and hadn't seen Hammer. Everyone saw him leave the Employee Area... No one saw him going to Studio One. And there wasn't a picture of him going there either."

"That's right!," the judge said, "The security camera! It should have taken a picture of him if he had passed through the main gate!" Wright nodded. "Funny how that wasn't addressed at yesterday's trial. Anyway, Hammer had waited for Mr. Powers to take a quick nap in his dressing room, after which he snuck inside and stole Powers's costume, though right now I'm not sure why." Cody had been listening with a look of surprise on his face. "Of course... He was a fake... I thought he was moving kinda funny. It was someone else inside the suit! Hey Mr. Wright! I did save one piece of data from that day."

"Wait," Wright said, "You still have one of the photos you took? Well, show it to us!" Cody got out the picture. It showed the back of the Steel Samurai going into one of the studios. From the look of it, Cody had taken it from the cover of some bushes. "It's still hard to tell who was in the costume from this," the judge said, "Your thoughts Mr. Wright?" Wright was busy staring at something in the photo. "Your Honor, there's something in this photo that gives this case a real turnaround." He pointed to the number above the Steel Samurai's head. "Take a look at this! What number does this look like?" The judge took a look. It was only the bottom of the number, a straight line with a diagonal one going up from the left of the number.

"Hmm," the judge said, "It looks a little like a two to me... Wait a minute!" Edgeworth suddenly became flabbergasted. "A two... That's impossible!" "It seems Edgeworth understands," Wright said, "We know the body was found at Studio One, but the gate in the photo does not have a '1' one it. The true scene of the crime is right here." Taking out the guidemap, he pointed to Studio Two. "TAKE THAT! This is only place that picture could have been taken from, and it is here that the murder REALLY took place! This is significant, given that there is a trailer at that studio. As we've heard, there was a meeting held on the day of the incident in that very trailer. And there was a break in the meeting corresponding to the time of death."

"Ah yes," the judge said, "I believe both the director and producer were outside the trailer at that time." "That's right," Wright said, "And that places them at the scene of the crime! Now as we've heard, the path to the trailer was blocked from 2:15 to 4:00. In other words, the victim went to Studio Two before that time! Mr. Manella had testified that no one in the trailer was guilty because they could not have gone to Studio One. However, it's now clear that the reverse is true; Only someone who was in that trailed could have committed this crime! This is because they were the only ones with access to the real scene of the crime at Studio Two!"

"OBJECTION!," Edgeworth called out, "Jack Hammer is the victim in this crime! Why would he even steal a Steel Samurai costume!?" "I may not know why he would steal a costume," Wright said, "But I can prove that he did!" He brought out the empty bottle. "TAKE THAT! This bottle was found on one of the tables in the Employee Area, where Powers and Hammer were eating." "Looks like a medicine bottle," the judge said, "And the label read 'sleeping pills'." "Powers's alibi is that he was sleeping in his dressing room," Wright said, "And I now believe that he had been drugged... By Mr. Hammer!" "One moment," the judge said, "While this does raise some suspicions, there's no real proof that Hammer used this bottle."

"In that case," Wright said, "We need only check the bottle for fingerprints! If my claim is true, then Hammer's fingerprints should show up on this bottle!" The judge nodded. "Indeed. Very well then. For now the court will take possession of the bottle to have it tested. Since it will take some time for the test to be verified, we will have to suspend proceedings for the day. Cody's testimony has opened up new possibilities in this case. It is very possible that things may have happened much differently than we originally thought. There is one important question that must be answered right now; Why would Hammer steal a Steel Samurai costume?"

"Well," Nanako said, "We have the rest of the day to find that out. We also need to find out who really killed Jack Hammer." "Indeed," the judge said, "And Mr. Edgeworth, it appears you will need to reconsider your stance in this case. Most importantly, you will need to reconsider your suspicion of Mr. Powers. It's become very likely that Mr. Powers is not the killer after all." Edgeworth nodded. "As you say Your Honor." "Well then," the judge said, "Trial will be extended until tomorrow. This will be the last extension allowed by the initial trial system. For now, court is adjourned."

* * *

_October 19, 2:47 PM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 1_

Wright breathed a sigh of relief. "I was actually worried for a while. Looks like you were right Nanako." Nanako nodded. "Cody was holding that big secret inside him. It's too bad we couldn't get it out of him outside of court." Wright nodded. "Yeah, what I wouldn't give for some sort of magical device to help me uncover secrets without resorting to the witness stand." "So," Powers said, "So everything's okay now, right?" "Looks like," Wright said, "We have some breathing room at least. I have a feeling tomorrow's trial may be more of a downhill battle. All we need is to find out why Hammer would steal your costume, and who really killed him. The trial can take care of the rest." "Thanks Mr. Wright," Powers said, "I'm counting on you."

To be continued...

**Nice little turnaround there, huh? Soon enough you may get a good idea of who the real killer is in all this. So stay tuned for the next chapter. Read and review.**


	18. Chapter 18: Turnabout Samurai Part 5

**It's about time I continued this story. Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, Persona, or Ace Attorney.**

Chapter 18: Turnabout Samurai Part 5

_October 19, 3:27 PM_

_Wright & Co. Law Offices_

After Maya returned to normal, Wright and Nanako explained to her everything that had happened since the channeling. "We have one more day to find out what really happened," Wright said, "That's how the 'initial trial' system works. Though with the way things are going now, even if we can't find the real murderer, it's very likely Will Powers will be found not guilty tomorrow." "Awesome," Maya said, "But that would just leave to many unanswered questions, wouldn't it?" Nanako nodded. "Right now we have two mysteries to solve; Why would Hammer wear the Steel Samurai costume, and who killed him?"

Maya tapped the side of her head. "This case just a left turn into crazy town. But at least the possibility of new suspects opened up." Wright nodded. "And opened wide. We know the producer and director were both in trailer at the time the murder occurred. And now that we know the murder actually happened in Studio Two, that rules them in and possibly Powers out." "Seems things have turned around while I was out," Maya said, "I think we may need to speak with WP about all this. See what he thinks." "Well," Nanako said, "There's still time to visit him at the detention center. Let's head there first before returning to the studio."

* * *

_October 19_

_Detention Center_

_Visitor's Room_

"Hey there Mr. Wright," Powers said when the group entered the room, "Thanks for the great job you did today." Wright nodded. "There's only one day left for trial, and things are definitely looking better than they were yesterday. If we keep this up, there's a good chance I can get you acquitted. For now, thought, I'd like to ask a few more questions. First off, what can you tell me about Ms. Vasquez?" "The producer?," Powers said, "Well, she's well respected in the media industry. A real genius. She's been at Global Studios for the last five years. These days, nobody dares question her decisions." "Really?," Wright said, "Why is that?"

"It's because she's delivered nothing but hits since she got here," Powers said, "At the time she arrived, Global Studios was on its knees. Then she came along and picked it back up. There are also rumors about her, but that's common in the media industry." "That's alright," Wright said, "How Mr. Manella? What do you know about him?" "Guy used to be a straight-to-video director," Powers said, "But one day Ms. Vasquez ran across by chance and found something in his work. She was able to help him create the Steel Samurai. Now the guy's a television legend. He's pretty much at her beck and call though."

Wright nodded. "I can understand that. One last thing. We found out during our investigation that Hammer used to be a major movie star, but suddenly dropped off the face of the Earth only to later emerge as the villain in the Steel Samurai show." Powers sighed. "You heard about that, huh? As I was starting out, Hammer was my role model. One day he just stopped taking on big roles. After that, he would only show up in smaller productions at Global Studios. I believe it started five years ago. And come to think of it... Yeah... It was right around the same time that Ms. Vasquez came to Global herself." Wright scratched his chin. "That's a strange coincidence. Maybe we should investigate the studio again." The three of them headed out of the room.

* * *

_October 19_

_Global Studios_

_Main Gate_

Wendy was standing at the main gat as usual, but seemed to be rather quiet. "Wow," Maya said, "I don't think I've ever seen this place so peaceful. And look at Ms. Oldbag. She's like a statue." She tapped her chin. "If her guard is down, maybe we eat those donuts she left in the guard station." "You eat, you die," came Wendy's voice. "Oh good," Nanako said, "You're still alive. I was actually worried." "I ain't leaving world anytime soon," Wendy said, "Now if you have anything to ask, make it quick." "In that case," Nanako said as she got her notebook, "Maybe we could start with the producer, Ms. Vasquez." "Her?," Wendy said, "Oh, those studio bigwigs just LOVE her. So she always gets what she wants, or so it seems."

Maya smirked. "You don't like her, do you?" "The studio would prefer I keep my mouth shut about that," Wendy said, "Sorry. It's not that I don't want to rant about it. Though if I did Little Miss Air Horn here would go off again..." "Sorry about that," Nanako said, "But we at III like to stick with the facts, rather than long strings of nonsensicals. Anyway, what you can tell me about Sal Manella, the director?" Wendy scoffed. "Sal? He's a real pushover. Does whatever Vasquez tells him to. She treats the poor man like dirt, though personally I think he likes it." Nanako smiled nervously as she thought to herself, _'Granted Vasquez is nice to look at, but would any man really want to be her whipping boy?'_

"A-Anyway," Nanako said, "About Mr. Hammer..." Wendy suddenly grew angry. "Oh, I heard all about what that lawyer said about poor Hammer in trial today, the cheeky whippersnapper! He's no thief! He's no criminal! Why would he go and steal Powers's costume just so he could sneak by me!? He would never stoop so low!" Nanako sighed. "The evidence we found in trial today suggests otherwise. In fact, they should be done with the fingerprint analysis of the bottle right about now. Did Detective Gumshoe come by here?" "Sure did," Wendy said, calming down a bit, "I think he's in the Employee Area right about now. Said something about checking the lunch plates." "We should see how he's doing," Wright said.

* * *

_October 19_

_Global Studios_

_Employee Area_

"So," Maya said, "Looks like they're not filming today either. Too bad, I wanted to see them film something just once." "Tell you what," Wright said, "Once the trial is over, we can see them film something afterward. Anyway, this is where we found that empty bottle of sleeping pills." "Maybe," Nanako said, "There's Gumshoe now. Let's go ask him." Gumshoe seemed to be hunched over some of the lunch plates still on the tables. "Hey there, pal," he said, "Guess you guys are here looking for clues too, huh? I was just about to check the plate on that table over there." "So you're here looking for sleeping pills?," Wright asked.

"Yep," Gumshoe said, "Or traces of them at least. I'd have to take the plate back to forensics for a full examination, but I can make a cursory examination right here! As Nanako will tell you, III is always coming up with new ways to improve law enforcement. And that includes new breakthrough in forensic science." He brought out a small vial of fluid. "This is a new chemical developed by Aigis Gear," he explained, "It can react to certain kinds of medication, like sleeping agents. If there are traces of it on the plate, the chemical will change color." He took out an eyedropper and dipped it into the vial. After collecting some of the chemical in the dropper he then applied it to the plate. Sure enough, the chemical turned from clear to blue.

"There we are," Gumshoe said, "There were traces of sleeping pills on this steak plate! That makes it viable evidence." "That great," Wright said, "I assume this is the plate Powers ate off of." Gumshoe nodded. "Speaking of that, things are a real mess down at the precinct. The whole force is divided. Some people think we should continue to pursue our current case against Powers, while others think we should switch suspects! For me personally, I'm starting to think Powers was innocent all along. Though I do feel bad for Mr. Edgeworth." "How is he doing?," Wright asked. Gumshoe sighed. "Poor Edgeworth is out of control. He was in the waiting room earlier and crushed paper cup filled hot coffee in hand! Talk about serious burns pal!"

"Well it's kinda his fault," Nanako said, "So far he's taken on three cases where the defendant was actually innocent. The first one died, the second was cleared, and the third actually beaten in court. And now it's almost guaranteed that Edgeworth will lose in court tomorrow." "That reminds me," Wright said, "Is the fingerprint analysis finished on the pill bottle?" Gumshoe nodded. "Sure did, and it's good news for your side. They found Jack Hammer's prints on the bottle. Your theory is looking pretty solid Mr. Wright. From this, we can determine that it was Hammer, the victim, who put Powers to sleep. Suddenly Power's alibi has gone from unprovable to practically airtight in less than 24 hours." Hearing someone in the dressing room, Nanako went to investigate.

* * *

_October 19_

_Global Studios_

_Dressing Room_

Nanako spotted Penny cleaning up around the dressing room. "Penny, hey there!" Penny turned around to see Nanako. "Hey Nanako. I was just cleaning up around here. It seems Powers won't be using this room anymore." "What do you mean?," Nanako said, "Powers is practically acquitted already." "Yeah I know," Penny said, "And I'm really grateful for your help. But... It seems this week is the last episode of the Steel Samurai." "I... See," Nanako said, looking a little sad, "Well, I guess it had to happen some time. Anyway Penny, I was wondering if you could tell me anything about Mr. Hammer? You see, we learned he actually went to Studio Two on the day of the murder, rather than Studio One. We also learned that he stole the Steel Samurai costume."

"You're kidding," Penny said, "Why would Mr. Hammer do something like that? Unless... Could the rumors be true?" Nanako tilted her head. "Rumors?" Penny nodded. "Yeah. They say Ms. Vasquez has some sort of hold on Hammer. Some dirt on him so filthy, that he'd do whatever she said to keep it secret. It was five years ago, see. The studio was filming a movie starring Mr. Hammer. At the time, Studio Two was fairly new. From what I heard, there was some sort of accident. From that day forward, they never used Studio Two again. They set they used that day was left the way it was too." Suddenly, they heard Maya's voice saying, "What... What do you mean it's the last Steel Samurai...?"

Nanako turned around to see Wright and Maya behind her. "I trust you heard all that." Wright nodded. Penny gave a deep sigh. "I know it's a bit of a shock, but there's nothing that can be done. I don't know who killer Mr. Hammer, but they killed the Steel Samurai along with him. And from what I heard, Global Studios is planning on changing its programming. They won't be making kids' shows anymore." "Hold on," Wright said, "Why won't they continue making the Steel Samurai?" "The bigwigs of the studio want to forgot all about this mess," Penny said, "They want to keep it all quiet. It's fine though. I'm sure all the kids who love the Steel Samurai will move on and find some new hero to look up to."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Wright said. He got out the photo album. "TAKE THAT! This is a collection of photographs taken by a dedicated fan. Look through, and I'm sure you'll agree that kids love the Steel Samurai more than anything. The studio shouldn't cancel it just to save face. They'll only wind up digging themselves into a deeper grave. You of all people should know that." Penny looked at the collection of photos. "You're right...," Penny said, "But what I can do to help." "You can tell us what Global Studios is so intent on hiding," Nanako said.

Penny nodded as she gave the album back. "Now I've only heard this second-hand mind you, but apparently during that accident five years ago, someone died. And there were rumors that Hammer was responsible. Ms. Vasquez was able to hush it up after that, and no one spoke of it out loud after that." "Hold on," Maya said, "I can understand why Hammer would go along with Vasquez told him, but why keep it a secret? It was only an accident, so why didn't they make it public?" "Hammer was a big star back then," Penny said, "The studio was afraid of what might happen to his career. Ms. Oldbag could tell you more about this than I can though." "Then let's go talk to her," Wright said.

* * *

_October 19_

_Global Studios_

_Main Gate_

The group found Wendy looking a little forlorn. "Something wrong Ms. Oldbag?," Maya asked. "Oh, hey there," Wendy said when she saw the group, "I'm just upset. Everyone else has been doing there darndest to forget about Hammer. He was the one who made Global Studios what it is today!" "We heard about something involving Hammer five years ago," Nanako said, "And we were told you would know all about it." "Hmph," Wendy said, "Nichols told about that, no doubt! That was just an accident! Just who do you think you are dredging up the sordid past of the recently departed!? And even accusing them of theft!?"

Wright sighed. "I think it's about time we show you some more decisive proof." He showed her the steak plate. "There were traces of sleeping pills found Powers's plate." "Hmph," Wendy said, "I'll bet Powers put that on himself! Guy probably just has trouble sleeping is all." "Perhaps," Wright said, "But I also have proof that Hammer was the one who put the sleeping pills on the plate." He showed her the pill bottle. "This bottle has Hammer's fingerprints on it." That was all Wendy needed to hear before she shed a single tear. Taking a nearby chair, she sat down in it and buried her head in her hands. "Poor Hammer," she said, "Poor, poor Hammer. How could you have done so wrong?"

She lifted her head. "Alright Mr. Wright, you win. I'll tell you all about what happened five years ago. To be honest, I'm tired... Tired of holding it in all this time. You see, five years ago, there a fatal accident at this very studio. To make matters worse, a paparazzi took a picture of it. Three guesses who made it all better?" "Vasquez," Wright said. Wendy nodded. "She has ties to the mafia, and used them to silence that paparazzi. After that, she became a force to be reckoned with here at the studio. But you must understand, poor Hammer never meant to harm anyone!" She reached into one of the pockets on her uniform and pulled out a picture.

"Take this," Wendy said, "It will give a clearer picture of what happened that day." Wright took the picture from Wendy's hand. It showed the trailer at Studio Two. A younger Hammer and Vasquez were seen in the picture, and well as an actor slumped over the piked fence. It was clear that one of the pikes had gone through his stomach. "This... This is the picture the paparazzi took!" Wendy nodded. "Hammer was supposed to have a fight with a bad guy at the top of the stairs outside the trailer. He pushed the other actor off the stairs, and he wound up falling onto the flowerbox fence." "Ms. Oldbag," Nanako said, "How did you get your hands on this picture?" "That was a long time ago," Wendy said, "I'd rather not talk about it." Wright nodded. "I understand. It's enough to know we have this." The group walked back into the studios.

* * *

_October 19_

_Studio One Entrance_

"Okay," Maya said, "We know Hammer put on the Steel Samurai costume. And after that he walked this way to Studio Two. The question is why?" "Maybe someone called him here," Nanako suggested, "Like the director, or the producer." "We should probably ask Vasquez about that," Wright said, "And confront her about this photo." "Okay," Nanako said, "But let's get some backup first." She got out her cell and made a call before the group headed off for Studio Two.

* * *

_October 19_

_Studio Two Entrance_

Vasquez was just outside the trailer, gazing at the sky. "Ms. Vasquez," Nanako said, "We have something I think you should know about." She showed Vasquez the photo. Vasquez seemed a little surprised. "Where... Where did you get that?" Suddenly she closed her eyes. "Oldbag... I should have known." She started walking towards the trailer. "If you something to say about this, we'll talk about it in here." She waited until the three of them were inside before entering herself.

* * *

_October 19_

_Studio Two Trailer_

"So," Vasquez said, "You wanted to speak about the incident in that picture." Nanako placed the picture in her bag. "That's right. We know you were using the accident from five years ago to control Hammer. You were blackmailing him, which is why he was doing kids' shows for chump change." Vasquez snickered. "Accident? How would you know?" "Well," Nanako said, "Can you prove it was murder? That he killed that actor intentionally?" "Well," Vasquez said, "Why would Hammer have let me run his life for five years if it was just a accident?" "Ah, but if it was murder," Nanako said, "You would have done a lot worse to him." "Touche," Vasquez said.

"Besides," Maya said, "That security lady was here that day, and she said it was an accident." "Oh her," Vasquez said, "She's a big fan of Hammer's. Unless you rubbed the proof right in her face she could never believe him capable of anything wrong. She jumped on that reporter who took the picture. Wrenched it right out of his hands. I hear she even gave him a few bruises." _'No wonder she didn't want to talk about it,'_ Wright thought. "The reporter still had the negatives," Vasquez said, "So he could have a copy, but he didn't. You have only copy of that photo right now." She snapped her fingers, and several men in black suits showed up behind her.

"And I'll thank you to hand it over," Vasquez said. Nanako slowly reached into her bag. But instead of the photo, she threw four small balls at the men. The balls exploded in their faces, causing a white powder to go off. "What the...?," Vasquez said, confused. "That powder is similar to pepper spray," Nanako said, "Don't underestimate III. We have our own resources." She brought out a stun gun next. "That photograph is evidence against Hammer, so why would you want it so badly?"

At that moment, the door was kicked in. Gumshoe burst in with several officers, all of them with their pistols drawn. "We heard that went down," Gumshoe said, "Thanks for the call Nanako." Several of the officers cuffed the men. "Dee Vasquez," Gumshoe said, "I'm afraid you'll have to come down to the station with me." Vasquez sighed. "Very well. I suppose this contest will have to be decided tomorrow." She walked out with one of the officers. "Well," Gumshoe said, "It looks we have another suspect in Jack Hammer's murder." "So it seems," Wright said, "But if Vasquez is the killer, why did she do it? We still don't have a motive?" "Maybe we can find out tomorrow," Nanako said, "For now let's get some rest."

To be continued...

**Next chapter is the finale of this case, and by now you probably know who the real killer is. The question is why? Well we'll find out soon enough. Read and review.**


	19. Chapter 19: Turnabout Samurai Part 6

**This is the last chapter for Turnabout Samurai. At the end of it I'll be making a big announcement. Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, Persona, or Ace Attorney.**

Chapter 19: Turnabout Samurai Part 6

_October 20, 10:00 AM_

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 4_

As the trial began, the judge banged his gavel to signal the start of trial. "Court is now in session for the trial of Will Powers. As both parties know, today is the final day of this trial. I hope both the prosecution and defense are ready to present decisive evidence. Mr. Edgeworth, let's have your opening statement." "Very well Your Honor," Edgeworth said, "Yesterday the defense presented a new theory for how the crime took place. The claim was that the actual scene of the crime was Studio Two rather than Studio One. Today I will on the people who were present in Studio Two that day, in the hopes of bringing the truth to light."

_'That was a bit vague from Edgeworth,'_ Wright thought, _'It's as if he's no longer convinced Powers is guilty.'_ "Let's hope we can finally bring an end to this," the judge said, "Mr. Edgeworth, you may call your first witness." Edgeworth nodded. "The prosecution calls Dee Vasquez to the stand. She is a producer who was present in the Studio Two trailer that day." Once Vasquez was at the stand, Edgeworth said, "If you would, please give your name and occupation." Vasquez paused for a bit, then said, "Dee Vasquez, producer at Global Studios." "You were at the trailer in Studio Two on the day of the murder, correct?," Edgeworth asked.

"I believe everyone here knows that," Vasquez said, "You should know I dislike pointless banter." "By the way Ms. Vasquez," Nanako said, "I overheard some of the questioning the police did with you yesterday, and you said something about being taken to Studio One. What did you mean by that?" "Easy," Vasquez said, "The van next to the Studio Two trailer. I was feeling tired so I had Manella drive me over in that. I thought it might be too risky after the monkey head fell over." "Well then," the judge said, "If we may have your testimony about that day?"

"Gladly," Vasquez said, " I entered the trailer, oh, a little before noon. The meeting began at 12:00 sharp. It ended at 4:00. There was to be a rehearsal afterwards, so we went to Studio One. I was fatigued, so I had Sal take me. At 2:30, we took a 15-minute break in the meeting. Sal and I ate t-bone steaks on the table in front of the trailer." "OBJECTION!," Wright called out, "I highly doubt you ate a t-bone steak that day Ms. Vasquez. Take a look at this steak plate and you'll see what I mean." He showed the picture of the plate Nanako had taken earlier.

"This plate was left on the table at the Employee Area," Wright said, "As you can see, there's a large bone left on it. Hardly a surprise, considering it was a t-bone steak. Now as we know, Manella and Vasquez allegedly had their lunch at the Studio Two trailer. But as we saw when at Studio Two, the plates were completely empty! No bones on them at all! So tell me, how does one eat a t-bone steak and not leave the bone? Ms. Vasquez?" Vasquez flinched at the question. "Speechless I see," Wright said, "But I have a good idea. The truth is that you didn't eat a steak during that break! You simply took the steak and threw it somewhere, like in the incinerator near the Studio Two entrance!"

Vasquez flinched again. "Interesting," the judge said, "But then, what was Ms. Vasquez doing during the break?" "I would think that would be obvious," Wright said, "She was meeting with the Steel Samurai!" "Meeting with...," the judge murmured, "Then was she the 'bad guy' Cody saw on the day of the murder?" Wright nodded. "Most likely. That day, as Vasquez left the trailer to eat, she ran into the Steel Samurai! And that's when she killed him with her own hands!" Vasquez flinched yet again, then a small smile came to her lips. "I see. So you think I was the one who killed Hammer, right?"

"If you'd care to try and prove otherwise," Wright said, "I'd be happy to put my theory to the test. After everything I've seen for the last three days, I think I have a better understanding of how things went down." "Interesting," Vasquez said, "And here I thought today was going to be boring. Very well Mr. Wright, I'm game. First of all, let's start with the murder weapon, the Samurai Spear. Now as you can see, I'm a rather petite woman, so how could I have wielded such a heavy spear." "Truth be told," Wright said, "I'd say you'd have a very difficult time using that weapon. But then again, anyone would."

"You see?," Vasquez said, "You just said it yourself." "And having that," Wright said, "That fact that the spear would be difficult to use has no bearing on this case. You see, the Samurai Spear was not the real murder weapon." "What!?," Vasquez said in surprise. Wright took out the spear and pointed to the duct tape near the tip. "TAKE THAT! Up until now, we've all _thought_ that this is the murder weapon. However, don't forget that it had been accidentally broken during the run-through that morning, and was then fixed by Ms. Oldbag using duct tape."

"Your point Wright," Edgeworth said, "How does that make the spear not the murder weapon?" "Come on now Edgeworth," Wright said, "I'd have thought you'd be smarter than that. Consider how thick the costumes for the show are. It would have been impossible to get a broken spear through something like that, especially near the chest!" Vasquez scoffed. "Fine then, but then how was Hammer killed that day?" Wright smirked. "You act as if I would claim this spear wasn't the murder weapon without knowing what the REAL murder weapon is."

He brought out the five-year-old photo. "TAKE THAT! The answer is right here in this photograph." The judge looked at the photo. "That's Jack Hammer in this photograph, yes? Mr. Wright, what is this all about?" "This photo was taken five years ago," Wright explained, "Just after an unfortunate accident at Global Studios. Not a word of this fatal accident was leaked to the outside." "What does that have to do with this case?," Edgeworth asked. "You can't see it?," Wright replied, "Take a closer look at the fallen man in the photo. His body has been pierced by one of the fenceposts!"

A sudden sense of realization came over Edgeworth. "So you're saying... That what happened five years ago... Happened again five days ago?" "That's right," Wright said. Vasquez looked stunned. "Let's go back to the day of the murder," Wright said, "It's 2:30 PM. Dee Vasquez meets with Jack Hammer outside Studio Two. And shortly after that... Vasquez pushed Hammer off the stairs and right onto the fence! An ironic end, considering Hammer accidentally ended someone else's life the same way five years ago. Whether or not this was a accident, I can't say." Vasquez chuckled. "That's very creative Wright. I could use someone like you on my script writing staff."

"I can guess your next question," Wright said, "How was the body found in Studio One? And how did it appear wearing the Evil Magistrate costume? Granted, it would have been impossible for someone like you to have carried the body all the way between the two studios and then return in the space of 15 minutes, even setting aside the fallen monkey head. However, there was another for you to move the body. It would have taken less than 15 minutes. To be precise, you used the van in Studio Two to move the body to Studio One!" Vasquez became shocked again. "You said in your testimony," Wright continued, "That you had grown tired and needed to be taken to Studio One."

"Of course," the judge said, "She could have used the van to carry the body, under the pretense of fatigue." "Exactly," Wright said, "She even had Sal drive her. And then before anyone else got there, she put the body in the Evil Magistrate costume!" "OBJECTION!," Edgeworth called out, "Don't forget it was Sal Manella who was driving the van. Are you saying he was a conspirator in all this?" "Of course I am," Wright said, "He'd have to be. Think about it. The body had to be carried into the van, and then placed inside the Evil Magistrate costume. Vasquez said it herself, she's a petite woman. She could never have hefted someone of Hammer's physique on her own without difficulty."

"Something else to consider as well," Nanako chimed in, "They also to get rid of the Steel Samurai costume, since it was covered in Hammer's blood." "Meaning they that in the incinerator as well," the judge said, "So that's why the prosecution was unable to find it." "Well, well," Vasquez said, "Quite the brain you have there Mr. Wright. And quite a team to back you. I suppose I'll have to concede. You've certainly proven how I _could have_ killed Hammer. Still the question is, do you have any hard proof that's how it happened?" _'Uh oh,'_ Wright said, _'She's got me there. There evidence I've presented so far is only circumstantial.'_

"I see you don't," Vasquez said, "In that case..." "OBJECTION!," Edgeworth called out, "We're not done yet Ms. Vasquez. There is something else I was hoping you would testify to. Specifically, what happened after you found the body." "After?," Vasquez said, "Why should that have any bearing on this case?" "I wouldn't expect someone who is not in law enforcement to understand this," Edgeworth said, "But sometimes a person's actions after a crime has been discovered can lead to new insight." _'Hold on,'_ Wright said, _'Does this mean Edgeworth is _my_ side this time?'_

"The prosecutions request is granted," the judge said, "If there are no objections from the defense?" "None Your Honor," Wright said, "Though I will admit the prosecutions actions are a little baffling to me." "Fine," Vasquez said, "It seems I have no choice in this matter. I was with Sal and Oldbag, the security lady, when we found the body. The assistant was there, too. Only Powers was absent. I immediately called the police. Then Powers showed up. The security lady, Oldbag, was quite agitated. Pointing at Powers, saying 'he did it!''I asked to be left out of the proceedings.'I went back to my trailer to get my script and direction notes."

"HOLD IT!," Wright called out, "Why go and get those?" "They were quite valuable," Vasquez said, "It wouldn't do to have them stolen." "Good point," Wright said, "But I thought you came to Studio One for a rehearsal. If that's the case, then why didn't you simply bring the script and notes with you?" Vasquez hesitated. "I was under the impression we wouldn't be able to rehearse that day. I mean, there was a murder after all." _'Another good point,'_ Wright thought, _'Who would think of rehearsing after that?'_ "OBJECTION!," Edgeworth suddenly called out, "Wright can you not the contradiction here?"

Wright looked puzzled. "Think," Edgeworth said, "She just said she didn't bring the notes because there was a murder. Don't you realize what that means?" Wright became shocked. "Of... Of course! She would have had to have known about the murder beforehand!" The judge stroked his beard. "That's a reasonable observation Mr. Edgeworth. But doesn't it hurt your case against Powers." "You yourself said I should consider my position in regards to that," Edgeworth said, "Well I've had some time to think it over and it's becoming clear that Powers could not have killer Hammer. So the only question that remains is; Who did?"

"That's actually very of you Edgeworth," Wright said, "So Ms. Vasquez, do you have an explanation as to how you could have known about the murder before it was discovered?" Vasquez smoked from her pipe. "How interesting to see the prosecution and defense cooperating. Regardless, I believe you have misunderstood me. I had a very good reason as to why I though there wouldn't be a rehearsal. I knew that Hammer was injured and couldn't do any action scenes, so I left them behind." "OBJECTION!," Wright called out, "That's very funny Ms. Vasquez. I could have sworn it was Powers who had suffered an injury!"

Vasquez became shocked. "What do you mean? Hammer was dragging his leg." "Yes we can see him dragging his leg in the photo," Wright said, "But that was because he was pretending to be Powers. Powers had injured his leg that morning during the run-through. And everyone who was present at the time knew about it. You weren't there, Ms. Vasquez, so what made you think it Hammer who was injured?" Vasquez seemed to actually sweat a little. "Well, Sal told me about it. He mentioned Hammer's injury." "I don't think so," Wright said, shaking his head, "Mr. Manella was also present at the run-through. If he had mentioned the injury, he would have told you it was Powers who had injured his leg."

"That's true," the judge said, "I can't see Manella lying about something as important as that. So then where did Ms. Vasquez hear about the injury?" "She didn't," Wright said, "She saw it, or thought she saw it. She saw Hammer limping with her own eyes! Don't that we've already proven that Hammer had drugged Powers during lunch that day and stolen the costume. To make himself appear to be Powers, he dragged his leg as if limping." "That would have been when he went to Studio Two," Edgeworth said, "Where he was murdered. Which is when Ms. Vasquez saw the Steel Samurai limping."

"Exactly," Wright said, "When Ms. Vasquez took the helmet off the Steel Samurai and saw it was Hammer, she became confused. She thought it was Hammer who had been injured. So Ms. Vasquez, care to refute this claim?" Vasquez was quiet for a while, then said, "Alright, you've done a good job so far. So tell, Mr. Wright, what would my motive have been?" Wright smiled. "Ah, I was wondering when I'd have to answer that question. Let me start with a little story from five years ago." He showed the five-year-old photo again. "This photo tells the entire tell behind Ms. Vasquez's motive. In the days before this photo was taken, Jack Hammer was a star at the height of his fame."

"Yes," the judge said, "Until the accident depicted in this photograph." Wright nodded. "Dee Vasquez was able to use certain connections of hers to sweep almost all traces of the accident under the rug. But that incident precipitate Hammer's fall from stardom." "No doubt because the guilt from his actions weighed down upon him," Edgeworth said. "Perhaps," Wright replied, "But after that, Ms. Vasquez made Hammer for her for petty change. That brings to five years later, with Hammer's last role as the Evil Magistrate!" "I'd imagine being forced to act on a kids' show would have been the last straw for Hammer," Nanako said, "Especially since he was forced to play the villain."

"One moment, please," the judge said, "So far we've only been talking about Mr. Hammer. But the way you've been telling it, it was Hammer who killed Vasquez. So then, what was Vasquez's motive for killing Hammer?" "That's just it Your Honor," Wright said, "Vasquez had no motive for killing Hammer. It was Mr. Hammer who was out for blood that day. The only thing Vasquez did was push Hammer off the stairs... In self defense!" "Self defense?," Edgeworth said, "Wright, are you saying...?" "I am," Wright said, "Mr. Hammer was intending to kill Ms. Vasquez that day, and frame Powers for it!"

"What!?," Edgeworth said. "Once we understand that Hammer was the one out for blood that day," Wright said, "The rest falls into place. Jack Hammer had drugged Will Powers with sleeping pills. Once he was sure Powers would be out like a light, Hammer snuck into the dressing room and stole the Steel Samurai costume. He wanted to fool the security lady into thinking he was Powers, going so far as to fake a leg injury. He then made his way to the trailer in Studio Two. His intent was simple... To kill Dee Vasquez, the woman who had so cruelly taken advantage of him for the last five years!"

Vasquez quivered for a moment, then snapped her pipe between her fingers. Sighing she said, "Alright Phoenix, you win. Yes... It was me that killed Hammer. I still remember that day. Manuel, the man who died that day five years ago, he was an old sweetheart of mine who was just getting started acting. I thought as a producer I could help him achieve his dream of stardom. And what better way to get noticed than by starring next to one of the biggest movie actors of all time. But something went wrong. Somehow during one of the action scenes Hammer had pushed Manuel off the stairs and onto the fence. When I found out what happened... I guess I let my emotions get the better of me."

"Looks like you pushed Hammer too far," Nanako said, "You're very lucky. But still, why let Powers take the fall for this." "It wasn't my intention," Vasquez said, "But the studio insisted protecting the director and producer was more important than the star." The judge stroked his beard. "To think this could have easily turned out differently. We could just has easily been cross-examining Hammer at this point." "I think it would have gone the same either way," Vasquez said, "Who knows, you might have already been done by now."

After a Vasquez was lead out of the courtroom, the judge said, "I doubt she'll be tried for murder herself. We've already proven it was self defense, so it would only waste the court's time. To think such a big secret could have been kept for so long. It still chills me to think how differently this could have turned out." "One could easily see that Ms. Vasquez was also carrying the weight of those last five years," Edgeworth said, "I think it did her some good to get it off her chest." The judge nodded. "And as for you Mr. Wright, it would seem you've done an excellent job yet again. Since it's clear we've reached the truth about this matter, I believe I am ready to make my judgement. The court hereby finds the defendant, Will Powers... NOT GUILTY!" He banged his gavel to finalize his decision. "Court is adjourned."

* * *

_October 20, 1:12 PM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 3_

"Thank you so much Mr. Wright!," Powers said, "I'm really glad I chose you to be my lawyer!" "It was my pleasure," Wright said, "I'm just glad it worked out. Looks like Vasquez will get off easy. At most they'll only be able to charge her with evidence tampering." Powers nodded. "Yeah, when it came out the Ms. Vasquez was the real killer, I was kinda scared for the studio at first. But I still wonder, just why did Mr. Hammer steal my costume? I mean, after hearing about Vasquez did to him I can kinda see why he'd want her dead. But why would he try to frame me for it?"

"Well," Wright said, "The way I see it, it's because you were the Steel Samurai. Think about it. Mr. Hammer used to be a big star. But he was reduced to playing the bad guy on a kids' TV show. The kids love the Steel Samurai. You saw Cody's photo album. Hammer how much the kids loved the Steel Samurai, so he hated you for playing the hero." Powers hung his head. "I-I get it. But Hammer didn't have to go that far. He could have just told me about everything, and I would have been glad to change places with him." "I don't know if it would have been that easy," Wright said, "But I guess it doesn't matter now."

Maya looked sad. "It's too bad they're planning on canceling the Steel Samurai..." "Oh yeah," Powers said, "I heard about that. But they're only canceling the show itself. The studio said something about letting the Steel Samurai as a character live on in various sequels." "Wow!," Maya said cheerfully, "That's great news WP!" She then noticed Edgeworth standing in the doorway. "Nick! It's Edgeworth!" "Oh," Wright said, and he turned to where Edgeworth was standing, "I'm glad you showed up. I wanted to thank you. Without your help, we could have never found out the truth about Vasquez."

"Hey there," Powers said, "So you're the prosecutor, right? I'm Will Powers. Pleased to meet you." "Of course," Edgeworth said, "I'm Miles Edgeworth. I'm a real fan of your work Mr. Powers." After shaking Powers's hand, Edgeworth turned back to Wright. "I must say Phoenix, I hadn't expected to run into you again after all this time. And in the courtroom, no less." "Again?," Maya said, "Does this mean you two know each other?" "We used to," Wright said, "Years ago." "And to be honest," Edgeworth said, "I would have preferred we had not. I've found myself saddled with unnecessary feelings of unease and uncertainty. Such things are emotions a prosecutor cannot experience if he hopes to be effective."

"Then maybe you should start taking a closer look at the cases you take on," Nanako said, "Make sure before you agree to a case that the evidence is solid and the defendant is undoubtedly guilty. You can't be a prosecutor and be biased, cause in the end it will only hurt you. You used to be a man who sought out the truth, and it was in the pursuit of that truth that you saved a rookie detectives life. Who cares if a criminal got away? Now that woman is being hunted down for her crimes, and an innocent man has been spared. Edgeworth, you can't go through your career on his lessons."

Edgeworth sighed. "Maybe. But listen, Phoenix Wright. I'd rather not see your face in front of me again. It'll only dredge up the past." And with that he walked out. _'It's because of our past that I confronted you in the first place,'_ Wright thought. "Hey Nick," Maya said, "Why do I get the feeling I'm missing something important?" "I'll tell you later," Wright said, "For now, let's just celebrate another successful case." After that day, Global Studios rethought its programming change and decided to stick with making kids' shows, starting with Sal's new "Pink Princess". With Powers still playing the Steel Samurai, who acted as the Pink Princess's mentor, the studio decided to hire Misa Kitamura as the actress playing the Pink Princess. But even still, Wright had to think to himself, _'Who was Nanako referring to when she said "his lessons"?'_

Next case: Turnabout Goodbyes

**Another case in the bag, and the next one's a doozy. While it's not one of my favorite, I still like it more than the previous one. Anyway, about that announcement. While I do plan on finishing this story, there's another story that popped into my head that I just have to write as soon as possible. I know it seems daunting to write two stories at once, but other authors have done it, so now I want to do it. Keep your eyes peeled for my new project, "Justice League: One Earth", a triple-crossover of DC Universe, Black Lagoon, and Panty and Stocking. And also keep your eyes glued on this story for my next chapter. Read and review, people.**


	20. Chapter 20: Turnabout Goodbyes Part 1

**I'll be honest. This is one trial I dislike. Not as much as Turnabout Sisters, mostly because the villain here isn't as bad. But it's still a painful one. Oh well. Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, Persona, or Ace Attorney.**

Chapter 20: Turnabout Goodbyes Part 1

_December 25, 2016_

"I still remember the first Christmas we ever celebrated," Labrys said to her husband Teddie. She was a very gorgeous young woman in her mid-twenties, with shoulder-length silver hair done up in a ponytail and clear blue eyes. She was wearing a brown woman's suit and high heels. Unless one had seen her in her true form, it was nearly impossible to tell that she was a robot. Labrys was a fifth-generation anti-shadow weapon, which made it ironic that she was married to Teddie, the Shadow King. Teddie nodded. "That had to have been the best Christmas ever." Labrys smirked. "And the eve before wasn't too bad either." Just then there was a call on Labrys's cell. "Oh boy," she said, "This one's a doozy. Yeah sure, I'll take it. Someone's got to stand up to that creep." She hung up. "Looks like we'll have to save the celebration for New Year's."

* * *

_December 15, 10:08 AM_

_Wright & Co. Law Offices_

Maya sat in the office thinking to herself. "Nick, do you know of any good waterfalls around here?" Wright raised an eyebrow. "Why are you suddenly so interested in waterfalls?" "It's part of my spirit medium training," Maya explained, "Standing under a freezing waterfall. See, I've been slacking off in my training as of late." Wright scratched his temple. "Well, there is Gourd Lake nearby. Any chance you can substitute cannonballing into a freezing lake?" "No good," Maya said shaking her head, "A medium needs to purified under rushing spring waters." "Well then," Wright said, "Why not just try asking the local fire department to shoot one of their hoses at you from above?"

Maya nodded cheerfully. "That could work. Thanks Nick." And she rushed off. Wright then turned his attention back to the news channel he was watching. _"A large, unidentified animal has been sighted at Gourd Lake! Being called 'Gourdy' by the locals, as a nod Nessie, the Lock Ness Monster, by locals, the denizens of the region are eager to claim that their monster is not as much of a hoax as the Scottish legend."_ "Some news story," Wright said, "Where's the evidence that such a creature could exist in the lake? Still, I'm glad Maya opted not to go there." As he took a sip of his drink, another bulletin came on the air.

_"This just in, another strange occurrence at Gourd Lake, this one more substantiated. The body of a man was found floating on the surface early this morning. A suspect has already been arrested, and the local precinct has called on the assistance of III to verify the man's guilt. Sources inside the police department have revealed the suspect to be Miles Edgeworth, age 24, an up-and-coming prosecutor known for his skill and connections. Police are baffled as to why such a promising young prosecutor would throw his career away in the space of a single night, and the III investigator is skeptical of Edgeworth's guilt."_

"Edgeworth a killer?," Wright said in shock, "Impossible. I know him, and even now there's no way he would kill someone." Just then Maya came in, looking downtrodden. "Let me guess," Wright said with a sigh, "The firemen thought it was a joke." Maya nodded. "Nick, were you just being sarcastic earlier?" "Yeah I was," Wright said, "And I'm surprised you didn't catch that. But right now we have bigger things to worry about. The police have just arrested Edgeworth on suspicion of murder!" Maya looked. "Hold on. You mean Edgeworth the prosecutor? But how...?"

Just then Wright's cell phone rang. "Wright & Co. Law Offices." 'My name is Labrys Teddie,' came a female voice with a Kansai accent, 'I believe you may know my husband Doug Teddie. Right now I need your help to defend a rather reluctant client. He'd insisting he be left alone on this, but as I'm sure you know, we at III don't like to leave a case unsolved.' Wright nodded. "I understand. I'll be down to the detention center presently." He hung up. "Come on Maya. Looks like we may have our next client." "Alright," Maya said, "It's about time."

* * *

_December 15_

_Detention Center_

_Visitor's Room_

"Glad to see you made it," Labrys said as she greeted Wright and Maya. "Yeah," Wright said, "I gotta say, it's never a picnic being in here. But's even worse when you're a defendant. Me and Maya know better this than most people. So who's the client?" "Who do you think?," Labrys said, and she pointed over to Edgeworth on the other side of the room. Edgeworth started to get up and leave after seeing Wright, but Labrys grabbed his shoulder and sat him back down. "We're trying to help you out here, so humor us for a while." Edgeworth sighed and looked Wright. "What are you doing here? Come to laugh at the fallen prosecutor?"

"What kind of man do you take me for?," Wright said, "I only came here because Labrys called me. Besides, this is last place I wanted to see you." Edgeworth sighed. "To be honest, I was hoping you wouldn't have to see me like this." "Well," Wright said as he sat down, "Could you at least start by telling me what happened?" "Look Wright," Edgeworth said, "I appreciate your talent, but I'll be frank. You're still a novice. You've only been in three cases. Granted you won all three, but only because a few lucky breaks bought you enough time to get to the real truth of each case. This is one case where you'll need real skill, not just talent or luck."

"Well how can I get the experience I need to have that skill if I don't take as many cases as possible to start?," Wright said, "I'm not trying to win every case here, just help a few desperate people who have nowhere else to turn. If it turns a potential client is guilty, then I can always just throw the case. No big deal. So for now I'd appreciate it if I could get a few answers to get started. Now, I heard in the news report that the murder happened at Gourd Lake, yes?" Edgeworth nodded. "Late last night, in fact." "That's quite a ways away from your office," Wright said, "Why did you go there so late?" Edgeworth didn't speak.

"I asked him the same question," Labrys said, "And he made some crazy excuse about wanting to see Gourdy, the 'monster' that lives in Gourd Lake. I told him he'd need to come up with a more reasonable excuse, or else tell the truth. He hasn't talked about it since. And I'll be frank here, when I suggested he ask you for help. He flat out refused. Claims his case is too hopeless for anyone. Personally, I think there's just something he's scared of and won't admit it." Wright sighed. "Look Edgeworth. I want to help, but I need to know why you won't except it." Edgeworth rubbed his shoulder. "I'd rather you not be involved in this. That's all I'll say." And with that, he left the room. "He may not want your help Nick," Labrys said, "But I know he needs it. So let's start by looking around the lake."

* * *

_December 25_

_Gourd Lake Park_

_Entrance_

"Here's the park," Labrys said, "The lake is right in the center." "I already see a few officers looking around," Wright said, "Questioning people from the look of things." Suddenly, Maya spotted Gumshoe among the officers. "Hey, Gumshoe. Fancy running into you again." "Hey there," Gumshoe said, sounding a little downtrodden, "Good to see you guys again. And it looks like you already met up with Labrys. Lady's literally a machine when it comes to investigating. I ain't even lying, it turns out she's actually a robot." Wright and Maya looked over to Labrys in disbelief. Labrys just smiled and made a peace sign with her fingers, as if to confirm what Gumshoe just said.

"Cool, huh?," she said, "Fifth-generation anti-shadow weapon Labrys. But of course everyone calls me Labrys for short." "Hold on," Maya said, "We know your husband Teddie is the king of all shadows. Doesn't the fact that your married to him go against your programming or something?" "What programming?," Labrys said, "I may be a robot, but I was designed with a special gem that gave me an artificial soul, meaning I don't need any programming. And I'm only supposed to eliminate shadows that are a threat to humans. Now tell me, did Teddie look like he was a threat?" Maya shook her head.

Gumshoe cleared his throat. "Anyway, you guys are here to help Mr. Edgeworth, right? Well count on me to help anyway I can!" "We would like to help," Wright said, "And that's why Labrys brought us here. But Edgeworth has stubbornly refused our help. I would still like to know what happened here. Can you tell us that much?" Gumshoe looked shocked. "Hold on, you mean you don't actually know the whole story this time? Wow, this is a first. Anyway, from we can figure, about 15 minutes after midnight last night there was a boat out on the lake."

"Who was on the boat?," Wright asked. "Let me get to that part, pal. We know there were two people on the boat, and one of them had a pistol. Right now the precinct thinks it was Edgeworth who was the shooter. A cop who arrived on the scene arrested him." "How did the cop get there so fast?," Maya asked. "There was a witness," Gumshoe explained, "They reported the shooting, and we rushed down to the lake. But let me tell you guys, I don't believe a lick of it! Unfortunately, the rest of the police force do, so they're not taking the investigation too seriously."

"How many times do we have to tell the police here," Labrys said, "Never lock yourselves into one suspect and later disregard any evidence that suggests that suspect didn't do it. That's neither law nor justice." "I know," Gumshoe said, "You'd think after the help Edgeworth has been to the force, someone besides me would take his side. And while he has asked for help from several more prominent attorneys, none of them haver taken the case. See, because Edgeworth is something of a celebrity, if someone defended him and lost it would hurt their reputation. Not too mention, and I hate admitting this, the case against him is pretty solid."

He looked to Wright. "Tell me you won't do the same as all those other lawyers! You've always tried to help your client no matter how hopeless it was, and Edgeworth even helped you during the Steel Samurai case!" "Believe me," Wright said, "I tried, but Edgeworth won't have me represent him. Said he doesn't want a novice like me defending him." Gumshoe looked surprised. "That's odd. After the Steel Samurai case, he kept going on and on about how good you were and about how any client in your hands could be found not guilty. Why wouldn't he want your help?"

Wright shrugged. "By the way, who was the witness?" "Sorry," Gumshoe said, "That's supposed to be confidential. I will say they're the only witness we have, and it's likely they'll turn up in trial tomorrow." "It was pretty cold on the lake last night," Labrys said, "Not many people would have been out on the lake. Not to mention it was Christmas Eve." Gumshoe nodded. "Still, we're checking things out just in case. If we can find just one other witness, we can get some new information hopefully." Just then one of the officers walked up to Gumshoe and started talking to him.

"Sorry pal," Gumshoe said, "But I have to run off for a briefing. Any last things you wanna ask me before I get going?" "Just one thing," Wright said, "Where can we get in touch with you if we need anymore information?" Gumshoe wrote something on his notepad and tore off the page. "These are directions to the precinct if you need me. Come by anytime." And with that, he headed off. "Okay," Labrys said, "Since you guys are with me, there should be no problem with you helping my investigation. So, let's head for the lake proper, shall we?" She led the way down the path.

* * *

_December 25_

_Gourd Lake_

_Public Beach_

The first thing Wright noticed when they reached the lake was the smell coming from the snack stand. "Samurai Dogs?," Wright asked when he read the sign, "Guess even with the new show 'The Pink Princess', the Steel Samurai is still very popular." "Well," Maya said, "When you consider the Steel's Samurai role in the new show is as the Pink Princess's mentor... Yeah, he would only grow in popularity." She then spotted the party popper on one of the benches. "Look Nick, someone left their popper here. This could be an important clue, let's take it." _'I'm sure she wants to try it for herself,'_ Wright thought, _'But why not?'_ He picked up the popper and put it in his pocket. "I'm detecting a human life form in the woods near here," Labrys said, "Let's check it out."

* * *

_December 25_

_Gourd Lake Woods_

"Wow," Maya said, "This place is serene and peaceful. I should use it for my meditation. And look, there's some one camping here." "If they were camping here last night," Wright said, "Then maybe they know something about the murder. But I don't see anyone around... Just their camera and SUV." Labrys examined the camera. "This has a microphone attached to it. Must have been set up to take photos when a sound was heard." "Cool," Maya said, and she tried yelling into it. "Okay, that hurts my audio components," Labrys said, "And I highly doubt it would be set up for voices. Why not try the popper instead it you really wanna test it."

Maya took the popper and pulled the string. The bang it created was so loud it caused the camera to go off multiple times, using up the rest of the film that was in there. "Hey!," came a woman's voice, "Git' yer mits offa' my camera!" She rushed over wearing a green sweater and black jogging pants with sneakers. Her orange hair was done up in an afro. It was clear from her accent that she was southern. She looked at her camera and sighed. "Sam Hill... Now all the films been used up. Y'all know how much a rolla film costs these days? What were ya'll even thinkin', settin' off popper in the middle of the woods?"

Maya bowed her head and showed, "Sorry about that. I was just curious. I'll pay you back, I promise." The woman sighed. "Ah, I'm just too soft-hearted I guess. Ol' country background getting the better of me. So who are y'all anyways?" "Oh right," Wright said, "I'm Phoenix Wright, this Maya Fey and Labrys Teddie." "Pleased to meetcha," Labrys said. Wright flashed the woman his attorney's badge. "We're here investigating a recent murder at the lake." "A badge huh?," the woman said, "Are you a cop or somethin'?" "No," Wright, "I'm a lawyer. Labrys is the investigator here."

"Oh yeah," the woman said, "I dang near forgot to introduce myself. Name's Lotta Hart. I was just out here photographing meteor showers for a research project. You mentioned a murder just now, when was that? I ain't seen much television since I started camping here." "It was late last night," Wright said, "Around Christmas Eve. A man on a boat was shot at that time. Did you see anything?" Lotta tapped her temple in thought. "I reckon I mighta seen a boat out there, but I can't be sure. I've been out here for three days watching the lake, so I've seen quite a few boats on the lake. Hard to keep track of 'em all."

"So what do you for a living?," Maya asked. "I'm just a research student at Country U.," Lotta said, "Way out in the heart of the heartland." "Not to stomp on your heritage," Labrys said, "But that sounds cheesier than a cow curdled in the sun." Lotta chuckled nervously. "Well anyway," Wright said, "That's some camera you have there." "Yep," Lotta said, "A genuine German-made Solingen! One of the best." "Solingen's a knife company," Labrys said, "The camera company is Leica." "Oh," Lotta said, grinning sheepishly, "Right." "What's that device you have hooked up to the camera?," Maya asked.

"This thing," Lotta said, "It basically triggers the shutter on the camera whenever it detects certain sounds. Right now it's programmed to pick up loud noises, like explosions for example." "This could prove useful for us," Labrys said, and snapped a picture of the camera with her cell phone. "Explosions...," Wright said, "Like gunshots, maybe? The victim in this case was killed with a gunshot, so maybe the camera detected the shot and snapped a picture of the crime." "Hmm," Lotta said, "It mighta. Lemme go check the film in my van and find out. The murder was last night, right? I'll see what I can dig up." She went inside her SUV. "It might take her a while to sort through all the photos," Labrys said, "So let's go check with Gumshoe down at the precinct."

* * *

_December 25_

_Police Department_

_Criminal Affairs_

"Hey there, pal," Gumshoe said when saw the group, "Thanks for coming down here. We just got done with the meeting... For better or worse." "Bad news?," Wright said. "Split way for the most part," Gumshoe said, "So, you got anything to ask?" "For starters," Labrys said, "Has the victim been ID'd yet?" "Not yet," Gumshoe said, "Still working on that. And Edgeworth won't say anything about him." He sighed. "I gotta say, I'm a little confused as to what to believe in this case. I mean sure, Edgeworth's still a human like you or me, but I get the feeling he's the kinda guy who wouldn't hide it if he's done anything wrong."

"And no one else thinks like that, right?," Wright said, "Assuming I can get Edgeworth to let me represent him, this is gonna make my job even harder. And let me guess, the trial's tomorrow." "You got it, pal," Gumshoe said. "You really seem to trust Edgeworth a lot," Maya said, "Why is that?" "Well for starters," Gumshoe said, "There was a time early in my career as a detective when I falsely accused of a double-murder. Edgeworth, in an admittedly ironic twist, helped clear my name, although the real murderer managed to escape from police. Beyond that, the two of us have a strong working relationship. We trust each other."

"A 'working relationship'?," Maya asked, a little confused. "I'll admit Edgeworth's process of getting defendants found 'guilty' in every case may be extreme," Gumshoe said, "But he does it because he trusts our investigation. He trusts that we'll get the right man." "Except the last couple times," Labrys said, "You goofed." "Maybe," Gumshoe said, "But that was only because we foolishly let ourselves get misdirected. It doesn't always happen that way. All of us work extra hard to earn the trust Edgeworth places in us." "I get it," Wright said, "By the way, did you get that autopsy report?"

"Sure did," Gumshoe said, "Here, I made you a copy. Don't worry, it's the newest version. I made sure of it." "Thanks," Wright said as he took the folder. He looked over the autopsy file, and Maya took a look at the picture of the victim. "That face...," she muttered, "I think I've seen it somewhere before." "Hmm," Wright said, "That's interesting. I wonder where you could have seen it." Maya just shrugged. "Well," Labrys said, "Lotta should have found that photo by now. Let's go check with her."

* * *

_December 25_

_Gourd Lake Woods_

The group found Lotta by her campsite with a photo in her hand. "Hey y'all!," she said with a smile on her face, "We got bingo! My took two pictures last night!" She showed Wright one of the pictures. It showed the boat from a distance. On it were two men, the one on the right holding what looked like a gun. "It's hard to tell just from this who was doing the shooting," Wright said. Lotta shrugged. "Last night there was enough fog on the lake t' strange a bullfrog. But seeing the pictures reminded me... I actually saw the murder last night."

Wright facepalmed. "So," Lotta said, "Ya reckon I should tell the cops about this?" "Probably," Wright said, "It is the right thing to do." "You're right," Lotta said, "Y'all can keep the photo." She ran off. "Well now we have one more witness," Maya said, "What do we do now?" "Not much we can do," Wright said, "She'll go blabbering one about whatever it is she saw. We'll likely hear it in court tomorrow. One thing though, she never showed us the second picture." "Yeah," Maya said, "Why was that?" Wright shrugged. "Well, let's get back to the office."

* * *

_December 25_

_Gourd Lake_

_Public Beach_

On their way out of the park, someone called out to them. Maya turned to see someone dressed up in a Santa costume. "No way...," she muttered. "Hey there Nick," the 'Santa' said, "Long time no see." "That voice," Wright said, "Larry, is that you?" Sure enough, the Santa took off his hat and beard to reveal Larry's face underneath. "What are you doing here?," Wright asked. "My day job," Larry explained, "Selling Samurai Dogs. Great way to earn money for dates. Kiyance deserves only the best after all." "Let me guess," Wright said, "Model? Or maybe actress?"

Larry just shrugged. "Anyway, she was the one who suggested I wear this costume for Christmas. Really drummed up business." He then noticed Maya. "Whoa, she's cute. You finally bounce back after that fiasco with Dahlia?" "What... Oh," Wright said, "No, Maya's not my girlfriend, just my business partner. This is Maya, Mia's little sister. You remember Mia, right?" "Yeah," Larry said, "She and Misa-Misa were helping you get me out of that job earlier in the year." Wright then realized something. "That reminds me, there was a murder here last night. Since you work here, did you hear anything?"

"Come on Nick," Maya said, "It was Christmas Eve. He was obviously out wit Kiyance." "Actually," Larry said, "Kiyance's in a photo shoot in Hawaii. Though she did send me a nice pin-up of one of her swimsuits. But I digress, so who's your client this time Nick?" "He's not really my client yet," Wright said, "But it's Miles Edgeworth." Larry became stunned. "Wait. You mean Edgey!? Our old friend from grade school!? That Miles Edgeworth!?" "You know anyone else with that name?," Wright asked, "Right now he's being suspected of murder."

"Crud," Larry said, "I can't believe it." "Wait," Maya said, looking surprised, "How do you know Edgeworth Larry?" Larry looked at her. "Edgey was in the same class as me and Nick back in grade school." "Oh...," Maya said, "Say, why do you call your product 'Samurai Dogs'? They look a little gourd-shaped." "Oh that," Larry said, "When I started working this stand, they were called 'Gourd Dogs' cause of Gourd Lake. But Kiyance suggested I change the name in honor of the Steel Samurai in hopes of drumming up more business. Let me tell ya, it worked! And lately, there have been even more customers here, what with the big news and all."

"Big news?," Labrys said, "What big news?" "Gourdy of course," Larry said, "Everyone's talking about it." "So Larry," Maya said, "You and Nick hung out with Edgeworth in grade school. I had no idea." "Yeah," Larry said, "Even then he was a stick in the mud. But back then he was a much nicer stick in the mud. Trust me, I've heard about what happened to him in recent years. Well... Except the murder charge. See, back then he always studied real hard to become a defense lawyer like his father. His pop was real famous, I don't their was a single person around here in those days who didn't know the name Gregory Edgeworth."

"That's cool," Maya said, "But wait, you just said defense lawyer? Last I checked, Edgeworth is a prosecutor." "So I heard," Larry said, "And it kinda confused me when I first found out. Edgey was always talking about how he wanted to defend the 'weak' who couldn't 'defend themselves'. He go on for hours about man's duty to society and some such. I'd sometimes fall asleep during his speeches. I wonder what changed his mind?" "I wish I could say," Wright said, "But one of the reason I became an attorney myself was to find out." "Oh yeah," Maya said, "I've been meaning to ask... What's 'Gourdy'? Labrys mentioned something about it being a monster." Larry nodded and held out a newspaper article. "This is from yesterday. Check out the photo."

The photo depicted a couple standing near the lake, with what looked like the neck and head of some creature in the background." "Not sure how real this monster is," Larry said, "But my sales have really gone up since Gourdy was first spotted." Wright noticed a quote from the person who took the camera. "'I set the camera to automatic'," he read, "'And when we got into the frame... I heard a loud "BANG!" followed by the sound of something slipping into the water...'" "How cool," Maya said, "I wish I had been there." "I'm a little skeptical," Wright said, "Would a monster make a 'BANG' sound. Mind if I borrow this Larry?" Larry nodded. "Sure, go ahead. It's not like I really need it." "Thanks," Wright said, "We need to get back to the office now."

* * *

_December 25_

_Wright & Co. Law Offices_

"There's something that's still bothering me," Maya said, "The photo in the autopsy report. Can I see it again?" Wright showed her the victim's photo. After a few seconds of looking at it, Maya's eyes lit up. "Now I remember this guy. He was a lawyer who worked at the same office Mia used to work! I met him once when went there to hang out with Sis." "So he worked at Grossberg's place?," Wright said, "Then he'll definitely know who our victim is. Let's go and ask him. I'm pretty we won't have any trouble getting information out of him _this_ time."

* * *

_December 25_

_Grossberg Law Offices_

Once the group got to the office, they were greeted with Grossberg's throat clearing. "Mr. Wright," Grossberg said, "Good to see you again, and under much better circumstances no less." He then noticed. "Ah, and you would be Mia's younger sister. Maya, if I'm not mistaken." "That's right," Maya said. "Indeed," Grossberg said, "You've certainly grown since the last time I saw you. Well, I'm certain, judging from the fact that Mrs. Teddie from III is with you that this is more about business than socializing." "Considering all this messy blackmailing business is behind us," Wright said, "I'm hoping we won't have to jump through as many hoops."

"Well I can honestly say I'll be much more forthcoming with information," Grossberg said, "Providing I have what you're looking for of course." Wright nodded. "I don't know if you've heard yet, but Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth was recently arrested for shooting a man to death last night." "My word," Grossberg muttered, "Who was the victim?" "We were hoping you could tell us," Wright said, and he showed Grossberg the photo, "Maya says this man worked for you." Grossberg took the photo and adjusted his glasses. "Ah yes," he said, "I know this man, or knew as the case may be. His name was Robert Hammond, and yes he did work here at my offices as a defense lawyer."

"So he was like Diego or Mia," Labrys said. "Nothing like them," Grossberg said, "True he was a lawyer, but more for self-gratification than to actually protect people being falsely accused. In fact, he was the presiding defense attorney in the DL-6 case." "I remember that case being mentioned during the investigation of Mia's murder," Wright said, "So Hammond was the defense attorney during that case?" "Indeed," Grossberg said, "As you may remember, during the DL-6 incident, the police approached a spirit medium, Maya's mother, to contact the spirit of the victim."

"But the person the police were directed towards was acquited," Wright said, "I remember that much. That was almost 15 years ago, and apparently they still haven't caught the real murderer." Grossberg nodded. "Very strange case, really." "Sure sounds like it," Wright said, "I guess Hammond did his job well that day, too bad for Maya's mother. The police unfairly called her a fraud." Grossberg nodded. "Although I was able to help clear all that up, which is how I came to be such a good friend of the Fey family." "One thing though," Maya said, "What does DL-6 have to do with Mr. Edgeworth?"

"Everything, really!," Grossberg said, "The victim in the DL-6 incident was Edgeworth's father, Gregory Edgeworth!" Maya became shocked. "I believe Edgeworth can tell you than I can," Grossberg said, "Wright, do you remember the two pictures you found on my desk when you and Teddie were investigating Mia's murder?" "Yeah," Wright said, "I took the picture of Redd White because I knew it would help me find him." "Then I think it's time you used the other photo," Grossberg said, "It may convince Edgeworth to talk with you." He handed Wright the picture of the middle-aged woman. "This," Maya said, "This is a picture of mother." "Thanks Grossberg," Wright said, "This may be able to help us. Let's get back to the detention center."

* * *

_December 25_

_Detention Center_

_Visitor's Room_

Edgeworth looked none to pleased to see Wright again. "Before you go telling me to leave," Wright said, "I think you should have look at this." He showed Edgeworth the photo of Misty Fey. Edgeworth couldn't help but grin. "Only a matter of hours since you were here last, and you've already made incredible progress. You always were single-minded on your work, weren't you?" "Admittedly," Wright said, "It's gotten into as many problems as out of them. So, what can you tell me about DL-6." Edgeworth sighed. "I didn't want you finding out about that incident." "Too late for that," Wright said, "I already knew about after Mia's death. It's what helped me put a stop to White's blackmailing schemes."

"I guess I should have realized," Edgeworth said, "Why else would Mia have been pursuing White in the first place?" He sighed. "Wright, I'm sorry if it sounded like you weren't up for the job. As it is, I'm still not sure if the right thing to do to try and push you away from this case. Still, I see no point in hiding anything now." "Then let's start with the basics," Wright said, "I already know a lot about DL-6, like the fact that it was when your father died." "Yes," Edgeworth said, "It's still painful to recall. He died right in front of my eyes. Shot and killed right in front of me. Though most of my memories from that time are foggy at best."

"Probably just a self-defense mechanism," Labrys said, "You were, what, ten at the time?" "Yes," Edgeworth said, "In any case, the police had a suspect arrested. It's pretty clear he was the only one who could have killed my father, but Robert Hammond was still able to clear him." "And we now know Hammond was the victim at Gourd Lake," Wright said. "The medium the police used," Maya said, "That was my mother." Edgeworth looked surprised. "I see. I suppose I should have realized. I thought that incident was about to end... And now this happens."

"What do you mean 'about to end'?," Wright asked. "DL-6 happened 15 years ago," Edgeworth explained, "On December 28. That means the statute of limitations will run out in three days." "Statute of limitations?," Maya asked, "What does that mean?" "When a case's statute of limitations runs out without it being closed," Wright said, "Then legally the case never happened. In three days DL-6's statute of limitations will run out and the case will be closed forever." "Okay, I get it," Maya said, "So what happened to the suspect from that case?"

Edgeworth shrugged. "The man just disappeared. Dropped out of the public view. If he's still alive, wherever he is, he'd be around 50 years old now." Wright nodded. "It must be hard for most people to live a normal life after being a suspect in a murder that hasn't yet been solved." "That reminds me," Maya said, "We learned that your father was a defense lawyer." Edgeworth nodded. "Gregory Edgeworth was quite famous. He was known for solving cases in a manner not unlike Wright." "Edgeworth," Wright said, "I should mention there was a photo taken of the incident."

He showed Edgeworth the photo. "I don't think you're the sort of person who would point a gun at another man," Wright said, "And if you'll let me, I intend to prove it." "Very well Wright," Edgeworth said, "To be honest, I'm relieved. Up until now I hadn't been able to find anyone to represent me." He chuckled. "I should have agreed to let you do it in the first place." "That's what I said," Labrys chimed in. "Looks like I get a chance to pay you back," Wright said. Edgeworth looked confused. "Pay me back for what? Nevermind, it's not important. Here, my letter of request." Wright took thanks. "Thanks, we'll show this to Gumshoe at the precinct."

Just then Labrys's sensors went off. "Seismic disturbance incoming," she said. "What's a...," Maya started, but was interrupted when the ground started shaking. Maya and Wright held onto the table, while Edgeworth disappeared beneath it. Only Labrys remained unfazed. "That's earthquake in layman's terms," she said. "Glad it was a small one," Wright said, "One of the few downsides to living in Los Angeles. Wait a minute... Where's Edgeworth?" Maya looked behind the table. "There he is. He's on the floor in a ball, shivering like a leaf. He must not like earthquakes. Well anyway, we should get over to the precinct."

* * *

_December 25_

_Police Department_

_Criminal Affairs_

"What's going on here!?," Gumshoe yelled when he saw the trio, "This lady came in here a little while ago, says she came here to talk about what she saw after speaking with you!" "Sorry about that," Wright said, "But what else could we do. If she saw the murder, it's her duty to mention it. Besides, how do we know she saw Edgeworth shoot the victim. It's not like I can go around covering up evidence. So what did Ms. Hart say?" Gumshoe sighed. "She claims she saw Edgeworth shoot the pistol, and even had a photo to prove it." "I got that photo with me, or at least a copy of it," Wright said, "But it's difficult to tell who the people in the photo are."

"Yeah," Gumshoe said, "Even before the trouble over that photo in the Steel Samurai case, I knew it's never a good idea to take photos at face value. Anyway, Ms. Hart said she was going to enlarge the photo to give us a better idea of who the shooter was, even though she said it would drop the quality a little. She'll be testifying tomorrow. She'll be the only one in fact, since the other witness we had canceled." _'This case does sound unwinnable on the surface,'_ Wright said, _'But if Edgeworth really is innocent, then there has to be something that was overlooked.'_

"That reminds me," Wright said, and he showed Gumshoe Edgeworth's letter of request, "Edgeworth agreed to let me represent him in tomorrow's trial." "Good timing," Gumshoe said, "I haven't even started on the paperwork for the defense yet. Now I can get started. By the way, did you guys feel that earthquake a little while back?" "More than that," Maya said, "Labrys warned us about it... Sort of. I guess she has some sort of internal defense warning system or something." "Yeah," Gumshoe said, "Anyway, that earthquake got me worried about Edgeworth. He always seems to over-react when they pop up. I'd better go check on him." "Funny," Wright said as Gumshoe left, "I don't remember Edgeworth being like that in grade school. But then again, I was only with him for the 4th grade, and then he transferred. What could have happened since then?"

To be continued...

**Okay, not so bad so far. And I'll see to it that things get less severe next chapter. So stay tuned, the first trial is coming up. Read and review.**


	21. Chapter 21: Turnabout Goodbyes Part 2

**Time for some in court action. Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, Persona, or Ace Attorney.**

Chapter 21: Turnabout Goodbyes Part 2

_December 26, 9:44 AM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 2_

Inside the lobby, Wright spoke with Edgeworth. "Needless to say you aren't the prosecutor this time," Wright said, "So do you know who is?" Edgeworth nodded. "Manfred von Karma, the best prosecutor that ever lived. The man hasn't lost a case in his 40-year career. Von Karma will do anything to get a guilty verdict, even to extremes I've never gone. Years ago, he was my mentor, and taught me everything I know." Labrys chuckled. "So we're talking a prosecutor as vicious as you, but multiplied by ten. Bring it on. I ain't scared of him." _'Easy for you to say,'_ Wright thought, _'You're a robot.'_ He sighed. "Maya, I think we may need Mia's help on this one."

Maya suddenly looked sad. "Sorry Nick. I've tired, as hard as I can, but I can't reach her. I think it's because I haven't been training hard enough. My powers have grown weak." Labrys ran a quick scan of Maya. _'That's funny.'_ she thought,_ 'There's nothing to suggest she wouldn't be able to contact Mia. So why hasn't Mia answered yet? I'll have to look into spirit channeling at some point and see what I can find on this.'_ At that point, the intercom announced the start of trial. Wright sighed. "Well, we'll just have to try without her. Labrys, maybe you can use your III authority to help us out." Labrys nodded. "Oh, I'll use it, guaranteed."

* * *

_December 26, 10:00 AM_

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 3_

"Court is now in session for the trial of Miles Edgeworth," the judge said, "I assume both parties are ready. Mr. Von Karma, you're opening statement please." "Hmph," Von Karma said, "There is nothing to say. Decisive evidence... A decisive witness... What else could possibly be required?" The judge cleared his throat. "Then perhaps we should move on to your first witness." Von Karma nodded. "The prosecution calls Detective Dick Gumshoe to the stand." Once Gumshoe was at the stand, Von Karma said, "As this detective is no stranger to the court, we'll skip the name and occupation. Too time consuming anyway. Detective, if you would please describe the incident."

"Sure," Gumshoe said nervously, and he brought out a map of the lake. "The murder happened late Christmas Eve, at around midnight," he said, "There was one boat in the middle of the lake, with two men on it. By coincidence, there was a woman camping here on the edge of the lake. At 12:10 AM, she heard two shots from a pistol. After that she saw the boat move, heading for the rental shop." The judge nodded. "Let's have this map added to the Court Record for reference." "Now then detective," Von Karma said, "Testify to the court the details of your arrest of the defendant."

"HOLD IT!," Labrys called out, "Only the judge has the authority to have the witness testify." "Hah," Von Karma said, "The judge's only real role in this court is to bang his gavel and give the verdict." "Oh the judge has much more authority than that," Labrys said, "And if you try to undermine that authority again, I'll have you thrown off the case and replaced with an III approved prosecutor. And that's a promise, not a threat." Von Karma grumbled, but said nothing. _'I guess even someone of Von Karma's reputation knows better than to go against III,'_ Wright thought. "Now then," the judge said, "I believe we were to hear the detective's testimony about the arrest. Gumshoe, if you please?"

"Sure thing, Your Honor," Gumshoe said, "A man called into the station around 30 minutes after midnight. We headed to the scene of the crime as fast as we could. That's where we found Mr. Edgeworth. Now, I didn't suspect him of anything at all. But... The next morning, a body was found in the lake." "HOLD IT!," Wright called out, "Did you find any clues on the body?" Gumshoe nodded. "We recovered a single bullet from the body. Cause of death was a fatal gunshot wound through the heart." "I have the bullet in evidence now," Von Karma said, "By stroke of luck it did not hit any bones, so the shape is well preserved."

The judge nodded. "That is fortunate. We'll have the bullet added to the Court Record. You may continue Detective Gumshoe." Gumshoe nodded. "Anyway, after we found the body we had to arrest Mr. Edgeworth." "HOLD IT!," Wright called out, "Why arrest like that?" "We found the murder weapon, a pistol, still in the boat," Gumshoe said, "The murder weapon we found in the boat was decisive evidence." "HOLD IT!," Wright called out, "What about the pistol made it so decisive?" "Well for starters," Gumshoe said, "There were fingerprints on the pistol which matched the defendant's right hand."

"I assume the weapon was submitted for evidence?," the judge asked. "Of course," Von Karma said, "Naturally I brought with me." "Good," the judge said, "We'll accept the pistol into the Court Record." Von Karma gave a snap of his fingers. "I should mention at this point that the bullet recovered from the victim is a match to this very pistol. Ballistic markings confirmed it." "Nick," Maya whispered, "What does 'ballistic markings' mean?" Think of it as the fingerprints of a gun," Wright said, "Like fingerprints, no two guns create the exact same markings on a bullet. As such, they can be used to confirm if a certain gun was used to shoot someone."

The judge cleared his throat. "Well, this does appear to be decisive evidence. But I understand there is still a witness to be called in. I would first hear this witness's testimony before I give my verdict." "Very well," Von Karma said, "I see no downside to it. But I must ask for a brief recess first. I feel rather fatigued." Labrys scanned Von Karma. "HOLD IT!," she called out, "Your Honor, I can prove that Von Karma is not fatigued to any degree. We should hear the witness's testimony right away." Von Karma grumbled yet again, knowing he couldn't move against Labrys and still continue the case. "Very well, Mr. Von Karma?"

"So be it," Von Karma said with a sigh, "The prosecution calls Lotta Hart to the stand." Lotta made her way to the witness stand. It was clear there was some excitement in her eyes. "Ms. Hart," Von Karma said, "You are a research student at a university, correct?" "That's right," Lotta said. "You also took the photo of the two men on the boat if I'm not mistaken," Von Karma said. Lotta nodded. The judge took a look at the photo. "Seems to be depicting the very moment of the murder. Ms. Hart, you may begin by testifying as to what you saw that night."

"Sure, Your Honor," Lotta said, "It was Christmas Eve, just after midnight, I reckon. I was in my car. I heard this "bang" come up from the lake. When I looked out the window, I saw two gents in a boat. Then there was another "bang"... There wasn't nary a thing on the lake but that boat. I saw it clear as day. That man on the boat was Mr. Edgeworth." "OBJCETION!," Wright called out, "Ms. Hart, there's a problem with your statement just now." He presented the photo of the boat. "This picture is quite foggy, in spite of you using professional, high quality film. This indicates that the fog is the result of a natural weather phenomenon. Your camera couldn't see the faces of the men on the boat, so how could you?"

Lotta looked shocked, and the look of discontent on Von Karma's face told Wright the old prosecutor didn't want Lotta to mention that last statement. "It would appear a better explanation is called for," the judge said, "Ms. Hart, please testify to the court as to how you could see the defendant on the boat that night." "Alright then," Lotta said, "Yer right. It was a cold night, and the mist was thick as grits. So, once I was finished setting up my camera, I got back in the car. Still, I brought my binoculars with me." "HOLD IT!," Wright called out, "You brought your binoculars that night? That's rather strange, really. Yesterday you told me you were out looking for shooting stars. Or did I mishear you?"

"No y'all heard me right," Lotta said, "But what's the big deal about that?" "Well," Wright said, "Most people would bring a telescope for stargazing or such celestial activities. And now that I think of it, I'm starting to have doubts as to the real purpose of your camera." "OBJECTION!," Von Karma said, "That camera is irrelevant to this case." "I don't think so," Wright retorted, "Your Honor, I'd like to request that Ms. Hart give a statement about her camera for the record." The judge nodded. "Granted, though I hope you aren't wasting the court's time with this. Ms. Hart?"

"It's like I said," Lotta said, "The camera was set up to take pictures of a meteor shower." "OBJECTION!," Wright called out, "I'm afraid that's a blatant lie. Your camera was set up to take automatic shots. And to take pictures of a meteor shower, you have to point it upwards at the sky. Yet as this photo shows, the your camera was pointed directly at the lake!" Lotta flinched at that statement. "Mr Wright," the judge said, "Just what are you getting at?" "It's simple Your Honor," Wright said, "The witness was not at the lake to photograph shooting stars."

He brought out the newspaper article. "TAKE THAT! Ms. Hart, you were at the lake for the sole purpose of trying to photograph Gourdy!" "You're referring to the sighting at Gourd Lake, yes?," the judge asked, "I read about that. So you're saying the witness was there to take a picture of the lake monster." "Bull," Lotta said, "I ain't heard of no lake monster." "But I have proof to the contrary," Wright said, "Your own camera. It has a microphone attachment. According to the article, Gourdy appearance was accompanied by a loud noise, hence the microphone. It's likely that the gunshot set the camera off, creating the photo presented as evidence."

Lotta crossed her arms, then smiled. "Well shoot, looks like ya got me. But that don't change what I saw that night." "Maybe not," Wright said, "But it does call into question your character if you lied about the reason for you being at the lake." "The defense has a point," the judge said, "Ms. Hart, you will testify about your reason's for hiding the fact that you were at the lake searching for Gourdy." Lotta said. "Alright. Actually, I'm not a research student at a university. I'm an investigative photographer. Imagine what a scoop it'd be if I got a picture of that monster! That's why I was camping out by the lake. But, that's all I was hiding. When I heard the "bang" I looked right straight out at the lake. There wasn't much else to look at, so I just watched that boat the whole time."

"OBJECTION!," Wright called out, "Ms. Hart, were really looking looking at the boat the whole time?" "'Course I was," Lotta said, "Any normal person would be." "True," Wright said, "But you were at the lake that night hoping to catch a glimpse of Gourdy. So in your case, if you heard a loud noise, you'd immediately start scanning the lake for any signs of the elusive lake monster. You wouldn't give that boat a second thought! Also, you wouldn't need binoculars to see that boat. After all, the camera picked it up just fine, without a zoom lens. You really needed those binoculars to search for Gourdy." Lotta crossed her arms again. "Well, now that you mention it... Yeah, that's pretty much what I was doin'."

"I thought as much," Labrys said, "Lotta was way too excited about being a murder witness, and as a result convinced herself she was watching the boat the whole time." "Yeah," Lotta said, "But y'all still got the photo." "Perhaps," the judge said, "But it's too foggy to tell who's on the boat." "Well yeah," Lotta said, "That's why I took the photo and..." "OBJECTION!," Von Karma called out, "That's quite enough. I believe the witness is done for the day." "HOLD IT!," Labrys called out, "We still haven't seen the enlargement." "Enlargement?," the judge asked. "Yesterday," Wright said, "Lotta told the police she would enlarge the photo she took. Yet we still haven't seen this enlargement."

"OBJECTION!," Von Karma said, "The enlargement hasn't been presented because it does not exist." "What you talkin' 'bout?," Lotta said, "You were the one who told me not to show it in court in the first place!" "That's concealment of evidence," Labrys said, "Your Honor, I recommend the enlargement be shown at once." "Agreed," the judge said, "Ms. Hart?" Lotta nodded and took out the photo. While it did the two men much more clearly, it was still hard to see their faces. However, Wright noticed something interesting. "Your Honor," Wright said, "It would appear this photo holds a clear contradiction to the evidence."

"Preposterous," Von Karma, "This photo shows no more than we already know. Which is why I decided not to have it shown in the first place." "Not quite," Wright said, and he tapped the shooter's hand, "As you can see, the pistol is in the shooter's left hand. But that same pistol has fingerprints from the defendant's RIGHT hand. This can only mean that the shooter in this photograph... Is not Miles Edgeworth!" "That is a clear contradiction," the judge said, "But then who shot the victim? There were no other people on the boat, and the autopsy report gives the shooter as being one meter away from the victim."

"Clearly the investigation team didn't do their jobs," Labrys said, "There's simply not enough evidence to truly place a suspect at this time. It would appear Edgeworth was arrested simply out of convenience." "So it would seem," the judge said, "Given that only two men were on that boat, it would appear at first glance that only the defendant could have shot the victim, yet the murder weapon itself, in conjunction with the enlargement, absolves him. Given this contradiction, and with no additional evidence, I cannot make a judgement at this time. Therefore court shall be adjourned until tomorrow. The defense and prosecution will investigate this matter further." He banged his gavel to finalize his decision. "Court is adjourned."

* * *

_December 26, 1:15 PM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 2_

"I must say," Edgeworth said, "I'm impressed Wright. Most of Von Karma's cases end within five minutes of the trial's start. Yet you've managed to extend it a day." "It's a good thing I have friends in high place," Wright said, nodding to Labrys, "Though I have to ask, were you actually on the boat that day?" Edgeworth nodded. "I was, but I swear I didn't shoot him. I did hear a gunshot near me, but I wasn't the one who fired. At first I though perhaps the other man on the boat shot himself, until I heard the autopsy report." "There are a lot of mysteries floating around," Wright said, "And we only have one day to find some answers." "That reminds me," Labrys said, "I managed to get a transcript of Lotta's testimony. It should give us a leg up tomorrow." Wright nodded. "Let's hope so."

To be continued...

**Yeah, I put Von Karma in his place. About time he got a dose of humility. Next chapter comes soon. Read and review.**


	22. Chapter 22: Turnabout Goodbyes Part 3

**Well, I've put this off for as long as I can. Please remember that this isn't a case I am particularly fond of, and that makes it hard to write. Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, Persona, or Ace Attorney.**

Chapter 22: Turnabout Goodbyes Part 3

_December 26_

_Police Department_

_Criminal Affairs_

"Sorry I was so useless today Nick," Maya said sadly, "Seems all your help came from Labrys." Wright smiled and placed a hand on Maya's shoulder. "I'm sure you would have found some way to help, even without Mia. Now come on, we have some things to discuss with Gumshoe." Labrys walked over to them. "I asked around," she said, "And Gumshoe already left for the crime scene. Seems he had a big fight with the police chief over not following protocol. I asked the chief about it, and he said it was because Gumshoe refused to help build the case against Edgeworth. I then gave the chief some strict words about revising his protocol immediately." Wright smiled nervously. It was clear Labrys had a reputation of sorts. "Well, I guess we should head back to Gourd Lake."

_December 26_

_Gourd Lake Park_

_Entrance_

"Looks like there are still a few cops around the entrance," Wright said as he looked around, "But no sign of Gumshoe." Labrys scanned the area. "Seems he's near Lotta's campsite. Let's head over there."

* * *

_December 26_

_Gourd Lake Woods_

The trio spotted Gumshoe examining the area around Lotta's van. "Hey pal," he said when he saw them, "Thanks for the help today. Looks like you bought Edgeworth another day." "Yeah," Wright said, "But we can't keep this up forever. We need to find solid evidence that can clear Edgeworth. And it has to be good, Von Karma can be trouble. Labrys was able to keep him in line, and even then it was a little rough. I can't imagine how things would have gone without her. Speaking of that, can you give us some idea of his next strategy?" "As it turns out," Gumshoe said, "Von Karma made arrangements to bring in the other witness from before. You know, the one who called us in the first place." Wright nodded. "I hope we can find out more about him. That reminds me, I have a question about Edgeworth. Is he afraid of earthquakes. I never heard of anything like that before."

"Well," Gumshoe said, "Edgeworth doesn't really talk about himself much. But one thing we all know about him, he hates crime with a passion. I also know that his fear of earthquakes, and his decision to become a prosecutor instead of a defense lawyer, stemmed from that one incident." Wright closed his eyes. "DL-6... The day his father was killed." "That's the one," Gumshoe said, "Even today, you can see the pain in his eyes. Anyway, if you need anything else, I'll be either at the station or around the park. Good luck, pal." After Gumshoe headed off behind the van, the trio headed back for the entrance.

* * *

_December 26_

_Gourd Lake Park_

_Entrance_

"There aren't many cops around here today," Maya noticed, "Maybe they're all back at the precinct working on the case against Edgeworth." Just then, there came a call of, "Hey ya'll!" The trio turned to see Lotta standing behind them. She seemed to be in surprisingly good spirits in spite of the earlier trial. "That was a good job you did today. It kinda got me thinking how big a responsibility being a witness is. All I did was git up there and start blabbing anything that came to mind. So, I decided I need to make it up to ya'll." "Really?," Wright said, "So all that babble at trial..." Lotta chuckled nervously. "  
Half of it was just so I could say I was a witness. Really, I didn't see anything out there that night. But in the excitement and all I convinced myself I did. And that dang fool prosecutor didn't even question it. You'd think all he cared about was his guilty verdict." "That's a fair assessment," Labrys said, "So how about that business with Gourdy?"

Lotta seemed to get all fired up. "This trials getting all the fire stoked up about Gourdy, and I intends to be the first person to get a real picture of it. Oh yeah, that reminds me. I mentioned making it up to ya'll. See the thing, I do have a bit of information that prosecutor didn't want to say in trial." "Alright then," Labrys said, "But I doubt this information comes cheap. So, what's the deal?" "The deal is," Lotta said, "You find me any information on Gourdy, and I'll spill the beans. Even if that information proves Gourdy's a hoax." Wright sighed. _'This sounds like a waste of time, but we no other leads.'_ "Alright," he said, "Deal." He scratched his head thinking of the next step, and came up with an idea. "Let's try heading for the beach. I think Larry may know a thing or two about this."

* * *

_December 26_

_Gourd Lake_

_Public Beach_

At the beach, the hotdog stand was now decorated with international flags, and a giant inflatable Steel Samurai stood next to it. "Hey guys," came Larry's voice, "I see you've noticed the new decorations. All Kiyance's idea. She supplied the balloon and everything all at her own expense. And man does it draw customers. The Steel Samurai show may be gone, but the Steel Samurai's legacy continues. All the kids love him. Oh yeah, Nick I heard you managed to make it through the first day." Wright nodded. "But it was a close shave. We're still short a few leads." "That reminds me," Maya said, "Larry, did you know Edgeworth's secret weakness? Turns out he's terrified of earthquakes!" Larry put a hand to his chin. "That's weird. I don't remember him being like that in grade school." Wright nodded. "Me either. But when a small earthquake hit yesterday while we were in the detention center with Edgeworth, we found afterwards curled up in a ball on the floor."

"I see," Larry said, "Come to think of it, we only knew Edgey for one year in the fourth grade, after which he transferred schools. Come to think about it, that was right after his old man died." Wright nodded. "Say Larry," Labrys said, "I don't remember seeing that balloon here yesterday, but if you got it from your girlfriend that means it had to been before her trip. So what's the deal there?" "That's easy," Larry said as he pointed to the valve-based machine next the balloon, "The compressor was busted. See, the compressor is used to put air in the Steel Samurai balloon. It has to be oxygen-based air, because helium would just make it float away. But oxygen also takes less time to run out of a balloon, so the compressor it needed to keep it inflated. But a couple days ago it broke so I sent it in for repairs." Just then Labrys got a call on her cell. "Seems Gumshoe wants to talk with us. Let's head down to the precinct."

* * *

_December 26_

_Police Department_

_Criminal Affairs_

"Hey there pal," Gumshoe said as the trio came in, "Labrys gave me a call about the situation so far." "I was wondering about why you wanted to us," Wright said, "So how's the investigation coming." "It's not," Gumshoe said, "Everyone's so intent on getting that guilty verdict, we're at a standstill. Later today we have another meeting to discuss Edgeworth's 'motive'. As you know, Edgeworth's father died in the DL-6 Incident, and Hammond, the victim in this case, was the one who got the lone suspect declared innocent." "It's easy to believe that Edgeworth may hold a grudge against Hammond," Wright said, "Especially since he never talks about his past much." Gumshoe nodded. "Anyway, Labrys mentioned the incident with Ms. Hart. Now, I can't go out there searching for a myth alongside you, not when we still have a case to investigate. But I CAN lend you one of our secret weapons for finding evidence." Gumshoe held his finger up to his lips and whistled. A small golden retriever came running up to him. "This is Missile," Gumshoe said, "One of our K-9 police dogs. Still in training, but only because he's still young. You won't find a sharper nose anywhere in Los Angeles." "Aw," Maya said, "He's cute."

Gumshoe then reached into his desk and pulled out a fishing pole. "I realize it may seem strange to use a fishing pole to hunt for evidence," Gumshoe said, "But this comes in handing when skimming through shallow lakes or hunting through dumpsters. And last but not least..." He brought out a standard metal detector. "Uh... Gumshoe," Wright said, "You do realize we're hunting for a living creature right?" "Yeah," Gumshoe said, "But you ever hear that sharks will swallow almost anything. Maybe Gourdy's the same way. Besides, what if what was really seen in that news clipping something not living, as in inorganic?" "Well," Wright said, "I guess the metal detector IS the most useful of the three. We'll borrow that." Gumshoe nodded and handed Wright the metal detector. "And don't worry, it's specially tuned so that Labrys won't set it off by accident." The trio headed back to the park.

* * *

_December 26_

_Boat Rental Shop_

"It's pretty quiet out here," Maya said. The trio had been sweeping the grounds with the metal detector, but so far had come up empty. "I guess with the murder and all," Wright said, "They were forced to shut down the rental shop." Just then, the metal detector went off near the bushes at the edge of the docks. Labrys dug through until she found a large air tank with several flags attached to it. "Interesting," Labrys said, "These flags look the ones Larry has hanging up over the hotdog stand." "It also looks like the main pressure valve is broken," Wright said, "If this does belong to Larry, he might be able to tell us what happened."

* * *

_December 26_

_Gourd Lake_

_Public Beach_

Upon seeing the air tank, Larry confirmed that it was his. "I was wondering what happened to this. Remember how I said how my compressor was busted a few days ago. Well, I needed something to keep the Steel Samurai balloon inflated in the meantime, so I shelled for a temporary air tank. It didn't go so well." "How do you mean?," Wright asked. Larry sighed. "When I started filling up the balloon, the tank's valve busted with a great big 'BANG!'. Next thing I know the balloon and tank are shooting off like a rocket, splashing down into Gourd Lake. This was on the 20th I believe... Anyway, that balloon cost Kiyance a lot, so I went out on the lake looking for it every day after that. I finally found it the night before last. It was really out there." "The night before last...," Wright said, "That was the night of the murder!" "Yeah," Larry said, "Sorry about not telling you that earlier. But I got back before midnight and didn't see a thing, so I didn't think it mattered." "Well regardless," Wright said, "You've still helped us a lot." He and the others headed back for the woods."

* * *

_December 26_

_Gourd Lake Woods_

Upon seeing the group, Lotta called out, "Hey ya'll. Find anything?" Before anyone could answer, Maya let out a loud sneeze, setting off the camera again. "Jeez," Lotta said, "Now I gotta reload the camera again. See, I set the microphone to pick up softer sounds." "We'll have III reimburse you," Labrys said, "Expenses like these are no problem. Anyway, we did find something about Gourdy." Lotta's eyes lit up. "Really?! What?!" Wright held out the air tank. "We found out he doesn't exist. This air tank was used to fill up a giant balloon near the hotdog stand the night Gourdy was first sighted. Unfortunately, the tank's valve blew and shot off like a rocket, taking the balloon with it. It made a pretty loud 'bang' sound as well. As it floated in the lake, a couple who was taking some photos just happened to be nearby. What was thought to be the monster's 'head' was likely just the balloon's arm as it deflated."

Hearing all this, Lotta slumped. "Dang... All that just for some two-bit attraction. What a let-down. Still, a deal's a deal." She straightened back up. "I overheard this from some of the cops, about tomorrow's witness. Apparently it's the caretaker of the boat rental place not too far from here." "There's still someone there?," Maya said, "The place looked pretty deserted." Lotta nodded. "Just some old guy, about fifty or thereabouts. Been living there for almost fifteen years. You can probably ask him about what he saw." Maya nodded. "Thanks Lotta. Come one Nick, let's get cracking!" "Wait a minute," Lotta said, "Before you go, there is something else I can give ya. The night of the murder, my camera went off twice." "Oh right," Labrys said, "Because there were two gunshots." "Yep," Lotta said as she handed to the photo to Wright, "'Course it only shows the lake itself, but maybe you can make something of it." She then walked off sadly and began packing her things. "And Larry's legend lives on," Wright said. "'Legend'?," Maya asked. Wright nodded. "Anyone who knows Larry knows the legend around him. 'When something smells, it's usually the Butz', that's we always used to say about him. Anyway, let's check out the rental shop."

* * *

_December 26_

_Boat Rental Shop_

After a few minutes of waiting, Wright and Maya spotted Labrys coming out of the shack. "Well," Labrys said, "The guy's a loon, but I was able to get some information." "What's the old man like?," Maya asked. "Well," Labrys said, "He seems to have gone senile, even though he's only at least fifty. Called me Meg for some reason and spoke to someone named 'Keith' who he thought was with me. He also called the boat shack a pasta shop called 'The Wet Noodle'. The only other being living with him is a parrot he called Polly. Apparently, she only answers when her name is called, but she seems to remember anything that's said to her. For example, she knows the combination to the old man's lockbox, which 1228 by the way, though after she said it he wouldn't let me near it. Anyway, after I convinced him I was eager to take over his 'pasta shop' when he was gone, he confirmed he was the one who called the police after hearing two gunshots out over the lake. He then saw a boat with a young man on it return to the docks." Wright sighed. "Doesn't sound like anything more than we already know." "Oh yeah?," Labrys said, "Well here's the kicker. Just for laughs I asked Polly if there was anything I had forgotten, and she replied 'Don't forget DL-6!'" Wright's eyes widened. "DL-6? Where had that parrot learned something like that." Labrys shrugged. "I think we need to tell Gumshoe about this."

* * *

_December 26_

_Police Department_

_Criminal Affairs_

After relaying the entire story to Gumshoe, he rubbed his chin. "You know, the only reason that old man didn't show up today in court is because of how difficult it was to get a straight answer out of him. He wasn't persuasive enough to be a witness, which is why Ms. Hart was called instead. And we have no idea who the guy is, so his credibility as a witness would be sketchy at best. But he's the only other witness we got, so... Anyway, what I really wanna know is how that old man's parrot knows about DL-6. It's supposed to classified. In fact, no one here at the station as even looked at the file under Edgeworth's orders. Just another way for him to bury the past I suppose. If that parrot knew about DL-6, that means the old man had to have taught it to her, which means he's somehow connected to it." "We'll need to more about DL-6 to be sure," Wright said, "Can you get us the file?" Gumshoe nodded. "Follow me." He led the trio into the Records Room.

* * *

_December 26_

_Police Department_

_Records Room_

"Here it is," Gumshoe said, finding the DL-6 file, "File's too big to take it all, but we can narrow it down to the important stuff for later." Wright nodded. "Start us off with a quick summary of the events of the incident." "Alright," Gumshoe said, and he started flipped through the pages. "Here it is. The incident occurred on December 28 of 2001, inside the elevator of the district court. At 2:00 PM on that day, a large earthquake rocked the courthouse, causing a blackout and collapsing half the building. Three people were trapped in the elevator at that time. It took a whole five hours to rescue them. There was a lack of oxygen in the elevator, causing the people inside to pass out. When the elevator was finally opened, one of them was found shot in the heart... Gregory Edgeworth." "Maybe you could tell us a little more about Gregory's condition," Wright said. Gumshoe nodded and continued flipping through the papers.

"Let's see here... Gregory Edgeworth, 35 at the time of his death. A well known defense attorney. Apparently there was another major case that day, which Gregory had lost. After which, he got on the courthouse's elevator with his son Miles. From the angle of the bullet that killed him, along with other evidence, the police quickly ruled out suicide. The murder weapon was pistol that had been found in the elevator, fired twice." "That sounds a little like this case," Wright said, "So we know that both Edgeworth and his father were in the elevator. What do we have on the suspect in the case?" "Let me see here," Gumshoe said, "Guy's name was Yanni Yogi. As you already know, he was arrested after the police were directed to him by a spirit medium, Maya's mother. As for who he was, he was one of the bailiffs at the courthouse. And yes, he was the third person in the elevator with Edgeworth and his father. Even though there was solid evidence to convict Yogi, Hammond was still able to get a acquittal on the grounds that Mr. Yogi had been oxygen deprived to the point of brain damage, causing him to lose all memory. He disappeared after his acquittal." "Well," Wright said, "At least now we have a better understanding of the DL-6 incident. But what sort of impact could this have had on Edgeworth? Gumshoe, I'd like to take the most relevant facts from this file to use as evidence." Gumshoe nodded. "This is probably all we'll be able to get for now," Labrys said, "We should get ready for tomorrow's trial."

To be continued...

**Finally got another one out of the way. Only three chapters of this case to go. The next one isn't so bad, at least not as bad as this one. Anyway, read and review.**


	23. Chapter 23: Turnabout Goodbyes Part 4

**OK, you guys really seem to enjoy this story. Seriously, I feel like Tchaikovskyan and the Nutcracker Suite. Oh well, here's the next chapter. Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, Persona, or Ace Attorney.**

Chapter 23: Turnabout Goodbyes Part 3

_December 27, 10:00 AM_

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 3_

As the second day of trial began, Wright seemed a little apprehensive. Noticing this, Labrys laid a hand on his shoulder. "Relax big guy," she said, "I have a trump card that should help us turn the tide." The judge banged his gavel to begin the trial. "Court is now in session for the trial of Miles Edgeworth." Von Karma seemed to have an unnerving grin on his face. "Today will end it. This trial will last no longer than three minutes. No then, I would like to call my first witness." In walked a rather elderly man wearing a pink raincoats and gray ski hat. His hair looked like it was thinning out and matched his hat, and he had also had a matching goatee. "I'm guessing that's the boat shop owner?," Wright asked Labrys, who responded with a nod.

"Witness," Von Karma said, "If you would please state your profession." The old man seemed to snore for a bit before walking up with a snort. "Oh... Uh, sorry. I'm the owner of the restaurant, the 'Wet Noodle', out on Gourd Lake." Von Karma cleared his throat. Getting the hint, the old man continued, "Oh... And I also rent boats." "Very good," Bon Karma said, "Now if we may have your testimony." "OBJECTION!," Wright called out, "We still don't know the witness's name. How can we verify the validity of his testimony if we don't even know who he is?" Von Karma cleared his throat again. "I'm afraid the witness suffers from long-term memory loss. Anything from more than a few years ago is a complete blank to him."

Labrys raised her eyebrow and scanned the old man. _'Interesting. Nothing to suggest long-term memory loss. I wonder what he's hiding.'_ The judge stroked his beard. "Well, I suppose since the incident only happened a few day ago, the witness can still testify." The old man seemed to wobble a bit, then began, "It was the night of the 24th, just after midnight, ayup. I was in the restaurant... Where I er... Rent boats as usual. Then I heard a "bang!" Ayup. When I looked out the window, I saw a boat just a' floating on the lake. Then I heard another "bang." Just about then the boat comes back to shore, and a man walks past my window."

"HOLD IT!," Wright called out, "Were you able to make out the person's face?" The old man seemed to think for a moment. "Well... The fog was rather thick, but luckily the person was right near the window, so I could see him pretty clear. That man was the defendant...he was saying 'I can't believe he's dead.'" "HOLD IT!," Wright called out, "That only proves the defendant passed by the rental shop, nothing more. We've already established that he couldn't have fired the gun. Additionally, there's no evidence to back up the witness's claims."

"Hah!," Von Karma replied, "You would still need evidence of your own to prove that." "Then we'll give it to you," Labrys said, "Your Honor, the defense would like to call a witness of its own." "Preposterous," Von Karma said, "I checked the witness list yesterday before retiring to bed. The defense has no witnesses lined up." "The record states otherwise," the judge said, "Apparently this witness signed up an hour before trial began." Von Karma looked stunned. Wright checked the record in front of him and grinned. "Your Honor, the defense would like to call Larry Butz to the stand. Larry works as a hot dog vendor at the lake, and yesterday made mentioned of being out on Gourd Lake around the time of the shooting."

"That's right," Larry said, suddenly appearing at the witness stand, "And I remembered hearing the gunshot shortly after up this morning. So I called Labrys and told her I wanted to throw in my own testimony." "Wright," Edgeworth said, "What was Larry doing out on Gourd Lake?" "Looking for his Steel Samurai balloon," Wright explained, "It had flown into the lake due to faulty equipment, which is what caused the whole 'Gourdy' incident. He finally found the balloon the night of the incident." Edgeworth closed his eyes. "Then is our best chance. Up until now Von Karma has run perfect trials. Perfectly prepared witnesses, perfectly prepared evidence. Larry coming in here unexpectedly could throw him off his game."

Wright got it. Von Karma didn't know Larry, and wasn't even being given a chance to talk with him. _'Larry's testimony is sure to be full of holes,'_ Wright thought to himself, _'Which could give me the opening I need.'_ Larry began his testimony, "That night, I was out in a boat on the lake. I was looking for something, and I, er, found it. So I quietly slipped the boat in at the rental shop deck. Then, just as I was thinking about going home, I heard this "bang"! I looked out over the lake, but I didn't notice the boat. So after I heard that single gunshot, I went home." "OBJECTION!," Wright called out, "Larry, this is very important. Are you sure you only a _single_ gunshot?"

"That's what I just said, isn't it?," Larry asked, a little confused. Wright brought out the copy of Lotta's testimony from the previous day. "Ms. Lotta Hart testified yesterday that she heard two gunshots, and the old man just know said the same thing. Larry, were you even paying attention to what was being said up until now?" "Yeah," Larry said, "And to tell the truth, I probably missed the other gunshot, since I was listening to music over my headphones at the time I heard the gunshot." Wright raised an eyebrow. "Wait, then did you hear even ONE gunshot? Your Honor, I think this calls for new testimony."

The judge nodded. "Agreed. Mr. Butz, if you could give a few more details." "Sure," Larry said, "It's lonely, being alone on Christmas Eve! That's why I was listening to an all-requests show on the radio, see? I was listening to it real booming loud, like. But I'm sure I heard that gunshot. I remember exactly what the DJ was saying when I heard it, too." "HOLD IT!," Wright said, "What did the DJ say?" "OBJECTION!," Von Karma called out, "That line of questioning is trivial." "OBJECTION!," Wright called out, "Whenever a DJ speaks over the radio, he frequently mentions the exact time as seen from the studio clock. Hearing what the DJ said at the time of a gunshot could improve the case's timeline."

"I agree with the defense," the judge said, "If the DJ was speaking at the time of the gunshot, it could give us the exact time of the gunshot. Witness, please answer the question." "Okay," Larry said, "Just when she said 'Hey! It's almost Christmas!' I heard the gunshot." "OBJECTION!," Wright called out, "Larry, are you sure about what you heard at that moment!" Larry nodded. "What's the problem Mr. Wright?," the judge asked. "The DJ had just said that it was 'almost Christmas' at the time Larry heard the gunshot," Wright said, "Meaning it was before midnight. In other, when Larry heard the gunshot, it was still Christmas Eve! However, the testimonies we've heard so far place the gunshot at AFTER midnight, at around 12:15."

"The answer is all too simple," Von Karma said, "The witness is clearly mistaken." "I don't think so," Wright said, "And I have evidence to prove it." He brought the lake photo Lotta had given him. "TAKE THAT! This a photo taken by Ms. Hart on the night of the murder, using the same automatic camera. The timestamp shows that the photo had been taken on December 24 at 11:50 PM." The judge took a look at the photo. "There's nothing on the lake in this photo." "True," Wright said, "But the real issue is why this photo exists at all. Don't forgot, the camera that took this photo was set up to react to loud noises." The judge closed his eyes. "Like gunshots. I see where you're going with this."

Wright nodded. "The timestamp on this photo proves that Larry most definitely heard a gunshot on Christmas Eve! However, this presents a problem, since there is also proof that Lotta heard another gunshot at fifteen minutes AFTER midnight, leaving us with two sets of gunshots, 25 minutes apart." "OBJECTION!," Von Karma called out, "The camera was set up to take pictures when it heard loud noises. There's no proof that it was a gunshot that triggered the camera before midnight." "Actually," Wright said, smiling, "There is." He brought out the gun. "TAKE THAT! Something about this gun has been bothering me. We've heard testimonies stating two shots were fired. Yet this gun is shown to have been fired THREE times. So when was the third shot fired."

Von Karma seemed to dread the answer Wright was about to give. "It's only now that I realize the truth," Wright said, "That third shot is the one Larry heard before midnight!" The judge nodded. "That would make sense of all the evidence we've seen so far, but were does that leave us?" Wright thought for a minute, then suddenly a look of shock crossed his face. "Nick," Maya said, "What's up?" "I just realized," Wright said, "I think I know the truth of what happened the night of the murder." He slammed his hands on the bench. "Your Honor, I think I know exactly what transpired that night, and who the real killer is."

"Hah," Von Karma said, "'Real killer' indeed. One only had to look at the facts to know it was the defendant." "Perhaps," Wright said, "Assuming the victim was killed at fifteen minutes after midnight. But now that we know that another gunshot went off 25 minutes earlier, and assume the victim had actually been shot then, the case takes a whole new perspective." "Impossible," Von Karma said, "Then what of the picture of the two people in the boat? If it's not Edgeworth and Hammond on that boat, then who is it?" "Easy," Wright said, "It was Edgeworth... And the murderer! After killing Hammond, the murderer assumed his guise and met with Edgeworth!"

The whole courtroom seemed stunned at Wright's words. "Consider the fact that Edgeworth won't tell us the reason why he went to Gourd Lake that night," Wright said, "My theory is that Hammond called him out there. Edgeworth likely doesn't know Hammond's face that well. The only time he would have seen it would have been fifteen years ago, when he was just a child. As such, he wouldn't have suspected anything when the murderer took Hammond's place!" The judge was shocked. "And can you give us the murderer's name?" Wright shook his head. "I'm afraid the person I'm thinking of never gave us his name. I speak of course of the caretaker of the boat shop, that old man! He killed Hammond at 11:50 that night."

"But there weren't any boats on the lake then," the judge said. Wright smiled. "Why would he need to go all the way out to the lake just to shoot someone? The truth is, the old man shot Hammond right inside his own boat shop! It would be the perfect place to meet the victim with no one seeing him!" "OBJECTION!," Von Karma called out, "What proof do you have of this." "Recall Larry's testimony," Wright said, "That night he was out on the lake searching for something. He manages to find it and returns the boat. As he starts heading home, he hears a gunshot! That was why I was wondering before how he could have heard even one in spite of wearing headphones! The gunshot would have had to have been close for Larry to have heard it."

"I see," the judge said, "For him to have heard it just as he was returning the boat, he would have had to have been near the boat shop! I assume you have a good idea just what happened at the boat shop that night Mr. Wright. Would you please elaborate for the court." "Gladly Your Honor," Wright said, "That night, the caretaker of the boat shop called Robert Hammond to his shop. This was around 11:50. That was when the gunshot that Larry heard was fired. After that, the caretaker put on Robert Hammond's coat... He became Robert Hammond! Then he got in the boat with Edgeworth, and went out into the middle of the lake." The judge nodded. "Then who fired the pistol?"

"Of course, it was the murderer who shot the pistol," Wright said, "He shot twice. Both missed Edgeworth on purpose." "But why would the murderer fire twice if he did not intend to kill anyone?," Von Karma asked. "Easy," Wright explained, "He needed to create a witness. The idea struck me when I remembered how the Steel Samurai incident went down. The murderer lifts his pistol and fires one shot. That ensures that anyone who heard the shot would look at the lake. Indeed, Ms. Hart did exactly that after hearing the first gunshot. Next! The murderer waits a bit and he fires again. Then... The murderer jumps from the boat himself! Leaving the pistol in the boat behind him."

The judge nodded in understanding. "To anyone who was looking, it would appear that one of the men had shot the other." Wright nodded. "Of course, the murderer didn't know about the automatic camera, which is why he shot twice. Has for how Edgeworth's prints got on the gun, I can only assume he picked it up in a daze after being fired at and then seeing the shooter fall into the water. From there the rest falls into place. The boat shop caretaker swan back to his shop, then put Hammond's wet coat back on his body and threw the body into the lake." The judge considered what Wright had said up until now. "Bailiff! Bring out the witness from before! While we're waiting, Mr. Edgeworth, I'd like to ask you what you think of Wright's theory."

Edgeworth took a deep breath. "Much of Wright has had is true. Astonishingly so, in fact. If I didn't know better, I could almost believe he had been there." Edgeworth took a letter out of his jacket. "I received this a few days ago. It was signed by Robert Hammond. He asked me to come by the boat shop by the lake at midnight on Christmas Eve. There was something important he wanted to discuss with me. As to what it was, I cannot say." Just then, the bailiff came bursting into the courtroom. "Your Honor! The witness has disappeared! We can't find him in the courthouse or at the boat shop!"

"What?!," the judge said in shock, "Find him quickly! He cannot be allowed to escape!" After taking a minute to calm down, the judge said, "Well, I suppose it goes without saying that a verdict cannot be reached under these circumstances. I have no choice to but extend the trial for another day. This will be the last extensions permitted by the initial trial system. A conclusion must be reached tomorrow. With that said, court is adjourned." The judged banged his gavel. As Wright got up to leave, he couldn't help noticing the look on Von Karma's face.

* * *

_December 27, 1:22 PM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 2_

"Something about the look on Von Karma's face worried me," Wright said, "Just how far WOULD he go to get his guilty verdict?" "We may find out sooner then we'd like," Labrys said, "The way things stand, Edgeworth very easily be acquitted tomorrow, wrecking Von Karma's winning streak. Someone as obsessed with perfection as he is won't take that sitting down." "I may have an idea of Von Karma's next move," Edgeworth said, "It's something that's been on my mind for many years now. A nightmare I've had for as long as I can remember..." Wright raised an eyebrow, wondering what sort of nightmare could shake Edgeworth to his core for so long.

To be continued...

**I shake as I type these stories... I really do. Well, anyway, please read and review.**


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